Artificial World
by Mary-Ann
Summary: Saito-Tokio. In a world of rivalries and betrayals, one might not necessarily choose the easiest path. Set during the Bakumatsu.
1. On a rainy day, the world fell apart

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

This is a story set during the Bakumatsu. The first chapter goes back in time to offer a better understanding of the following chapters.

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****Chapter 1 – On a rainy day, the world fell apart****

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_1853, years before the main events_

Four American black ships led by Commodore Perry are leaving India. They have sailed very far, having left Newport almost a year ago. Many doubt the chances of success of their mission, but Perry isn't a man who doubts easily. He has seen worse.

In a few weeks, probably by the month of June, the four black ships led by Commodore Perry will reach Japan. And then, things will change. They will sign a commercial accord with Japan. They will force that foreign and mysterious country to opens its borders. They will succeed where everyone else had failed.

In a few weeks, there will be a major twist in Japan's history, a twist having deep consequences that Americans sailing under the commands of Commodore Perry could never even imagine.

But for now, most people don't even know that these ships are coming. They have no idea of what is about to happen. They are living their lives as they had lived them for centuries. Things are about to change, but not now. There are still a few weeks of calm ahead.

Isami Kondo, a 19 year old young man living at the Shieikan dojo in Edo, has no idea that in ten years, he will become the co-founder of the Shinsengumi. Hajime Saito, a 9 year old strong-minded boy, has no idea that he will become a Shinsengumi captain. And Shishio Makoto, a very young boy, certainly has no idea that in twenty-five years from now, he will try to replicate the black ships' incident to overthrow the Meiji government.

* * *

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At the same time, in Kyoto's deserted streets_

Heavy rain was pouring down. It had been raining for days now. It seemed that all that water would never leave the district. In fact, Kyoto looked like a ghost town. A thick mist was enveloping the linking and fragile houses, where the citizens had shut themselves.

But, very unlike them, a man and a little girl were walking in the deserted streets, trying to make their way through the storm. Their shoes were socking wet, their hair were damp and sticking on their foreheads. People who saw them go by, reported that the man must have been crazy. Such conditions could send a healthy grown up directly to its deathbed... It was pure folly to walk around with a little girl.

And it was true that the little girl had great difficulties standing still and keeping up with her father's quick pace. She was crying, but in that rain, no one would ever know it. She was happy that no one would ever know it. She wasn't supposed to cry. She was supposed to be strong. He father had asked for it. Well-behaved girls had to hold their heads high.

Finally, the duo came to their destination: a tall house which should have cut the little girl's breath. It was an unusual sight for people coming from a poor village, like theirs was. She had never gone out of it until now. Not even to Edo, which was only a few miles away. But this sight didn't cheer her up. This wasn't a place where you were supposed to be happy. This was a place where you faked happiness. She had already understood this.

Her father walked toward the main door, but the little girl didn't move. She needed courage to go there and right now, she didn't have any. But she had to, for her father. He had already explained her more than twice what he was waiting for. She had to help him. She had to find that courage, right now.

"Tokio-chan..." her father said as he realised that she wasn't following anymore. "Come here... You'll see, it's going to be all right."

Her father had spoken kindly, but the child hesitated a little while longer. She could feel the trap. But... Father wouldn't trap her, wouldn't he? Father loved her.

"Will I see you again?"

The tall man walked to the child and, not caring about the pools of water, he bent down. He looked her directly in the eyes and he said.

"Yes. I'll come to see you at least once a month. You'll always be my little girl, my only child. Nothing will ever change that."

"And will mother come with you sometimes?"

A shadow darkened the man's eyes. He shook his head and sadly answered.

"No. She won't come. She can't come. She has left this world for good. We can only hope that she is happy where she is now."

Puzzled, the child looked at her father. Death was a hard thing to understand for a seven year old child. A lot of things were hard to understand for a seven year old child.

Seeing her interrogative eyes, her father also realised that those concepts were maybe a little too advanced for now. In a few years, she would understand, and she would accept his choices. He couldn't take care of a child alone. He had loved his wife, but he had never been a family man. This was the best thing to do. In due time, she would acknowledge it and maybe forgive him.

"Tokio-chan, just trust me. Those people are really good. They will help you become a good woman, like your mother was. Alone, I can't do much for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes." she answered politely. Those were strange words all mixed together, but she had understood one thing. She had to trust her father, no matter what. He loved her. This was for her own good. And she would see him again.

On those words, the man got up and walked, again, toward the main door. This time, Tokio followed him.

* * *

Eager to make a good impression, as her father had requested, Tokio was letting the middle age lady play with her like a doll. She didn't even protest when the women brought back dry, but worn out, clothes and helped her changed right here, in the hall.

Her father was standing in a dark corner, not paying much attention to the scene going on. He had asked a few questions to the woman, mostly about money, but the lady had only replied that they had to take care of the girl first. They wouldn't pay for a sick girl.

"Sir, wait here, please. I'll introduce your daughter to the others. Then I'll come back and arrange the last details." The woman finally said.

Tokio took a furtive glance at her father, wondering if she would also see him, before he left. As he nodded reassuringly, she followed the woman as soon as she felt her strong hand on her shoulder, showing her the way. But with every step she took, she tried to control her growing distress.

Finally, they came to a room where two old ladies were sitting. The kimonos they wore were made of a rich fabric, very unlike the one the woman, now standing in her back, wore. Tokio guessed that that woman was only a maid. She knew what maids were: that's the kind of job women of her family had done for a few generations. They had once been a rich family of samurais, but they had lost everything; now, they were just a very poor family of samurais with no luck. It was a real lesson of humility.

"Come here child." said one of the two ladies.

Tokio automatically obeyed and as she approached, she took a better look at them. One was tall and angular, while the other one was short and round, but both faces were still blessed with beauty, in spite of the passing years.

And on that day, Tokio learned that you didn't judged people only on appearances, for the tall and angular one had kind and soft eyes, while the short and round one had cold and calculating eyes.

Both women remained silent, judging her. The tallest, Sei, finally declared.

"I think she has potential. She is definitely pretty."

"Not as pretty as her aunt used to be." shortly replied Masako.

"That's true, but she's prettier than most girls are."

After a slight pause, during which she silently conceded the point, Masako went on.

"However, my main concern is the child's docility and her intelligence. Tell me your name."

"Tokio Tanaka."

"Not a bad name. Tokio, tell me, you know why you are here?"

"Yes." Tokio said. She also nodded, to show that she understood very well what was expected from her. Her father had already gone through that many, many times until she could precisely explained it, without failing.

She briefly closed her eyes. She could certainly tell what was about to happen, she could certainly understand it, but maybe she could still not fully accept it. That's why she recalled her father's word once more.

_When you don't have money, you try to do your best to find a way of living. Everyone, young or old, has to do their share and you, Tokio, are not suppose to be in rest. You are going to work at the Isobe okiya. Everything is already arranged._

_Your mother's sister worked there and she said that it is one of the best establishments, that there is nothing to fear. If you are a good girl, you'll take the position your aunt had when she left to get married: atatori. The okiya will then belong to you at the owners' death. You will have a good future._

Tokio opened her eyes as Masako's voice prevented her from going farther in the long tale of her aunt's life at the Isobe okiya.

"The okiya has always been very successful: one of the best establishments of Gion. But it's not the case anymore. I only have three geishas left, and on some days, I wish that there were none as they all are either foolish or incompetent. That's why I still haven't chosen another atatori..."

She paused to silently curse her protégés, as she probably did ten times a day.

"Time is running out now, I don't have many years left. I have to find someone soon. As your aunt was successful, I thought that maybe the right blood runs in your veins and that you could be the right girl. Your father accepted the deal. I'm going to invest a lot on your education, but I'm ready to make that bet. But, as I said, don't deceive me. Is this clear?"

"Yes, it is clear." Tokio faintly answered, lying this time. But she was too polite to point out that some concepts mentioned were very obscure. They had not been part of her father's tale. But there would always be time later to figure out this speech. And while looking at the kind eyes of Sei, she knew where she would seek for answers.

"Good." replied Masako. She liked what she saw so far. The bet could prove to be worth it, if the girl adapted herself well to this new life. But suddenly, she felt very tired. All of this made her eventual death seem more real than ever.

"Tokio..." gently said Sei, leaning forward. "Could you leave us alone now? The maid will show you the house."

Tokio bowed and turned around, expecting to see the maid. But she had left the room during the discussion. Interrogative and worried eyes silently questioning the two ladies.

"Just wait in the corridor. She knows you'll be there."

* * *

Once on the other side of the wall, Tokio could still hear bits of conversation and she understood that it was mostly focused on her. Both women didn't seem to completely agree on her potential and on the way to treat her. She didn't catch anything beyond the general meaning.

And, after all, that was not what really interested her, right now. She was just eager to see her father. And finally, after a very long five minutes, unable to resist the temptation any longer, she took a few steps toward the main hall. It was almost in sight when something, or rather someone, stopped her.

"Well-behaved girls should not sneak around like that," said a venomous voice behind her back.

She turned around, confused, and came face to face with a young woman, her lovely face distorted with both hate and envy: a sight to which she would have to get rapidly used to, in this world.

But right now, Tokio didn't quite know how to react. Hopefully, the young woman only laughed in her face and left.

Still troubled by what had happened, it's with less confidence then Tokio covered the remaining distance. It's shyly that she cast a furtive glance in the hall, just in time to see her father walking through the door and leave.

She tried to run after him, but the strong arms of the maid prevent her to do so. Her father's silhouette soon vanished under the heavy rain.

* * *

The four black ships led by Commodore Perry arrived in Japan in June as planned. The apparition of the four naval ships caused great panic among the citizens of Edo and also impressed the designated negotiators.

Perry didn't get the treaty he wanted, but in a few months, when he would return with eight black ships, he would certainly win his point. Everyone afraid of four ships would certainly capitulate seeing eight of them...

Life in Japan had just come to change. Isami Kondo, Hajime Saito and Shishio Makoto heard this strange tale. But they still had no idea of the role they were going to play in the course of Japan's history.

* * *

At the second floor of the Isobe okiya, two ladies were talking together while enjoying a cup of tea. They were not great friends, for they were very different, but after years of living together there was a balance in their relation. They were like two sides of the same medal, and that's what helped keep some sanity in the house.

"She's been mentally absent, gazing at unknown things for weeks now... Do you think we made a mistake by choosing her?" asked the gentle Sei to the calculating Masako.

"It's too soon to tell." philosophically answered the old lady.

"Maybe but still... It's been months since she's here, and she didn't smiled once. She always has this sad expression on."

"Many young girls go though that phase. I'm old enough to have witnessed it many times, and see many strong morals comeback. But it's true that I'm afraid for the girl. Too long is too long."

"She's longing for her family. She's been waiting for her father's visit."

"Maybe it's time we tell her, then."

"Tell her what?" innocently wondered Sei, hoping that Masako did not meant what she thought she meant.

"Announce her the news of her father's death..."

"I know that we discussed this before, but I still disagree with you. It will totally destroy what is left of her."

"No. I do believe that it will allow her to move on, once she will overcome her sadness. She won't be waiting anymore. She will be proactive. That's what we want."

"Well, yes... That's what we want..." answered Sei, without much enthusiasm.

* * *

And life went on at the Isobe okiya, the little tragedies of the daily life taking the entire place in the mind of its inhabitants. The whole district was like that: too focused on itself to notice that important things that would change the course of history were about to happen. Gion was surreal, untrue, and that's what attracted people there. During the few hours you spent within the district's limits, you could forget who you were, what you were living for and the real meaning of life.

That's how Gion and its inhabitants heard rumours about the Commodore Perry's black ships. But far from fearing the menace like normal citizens would, the fact was soon turned into jokes by the geishas.

The now eight years old Tokio joined the general laughter. If she had only knew that those events were about the shake the country and her life, she would have thought otherwise. But she didn't know. And even if someone had warned her, she wouldn't have given credit to the words. What could be worse than being sold to an okiya by her father, having to face the mockery of the other geishas and learn about her father's death? Nothing.

Her main preoccupation now, was the new girl at the Isobe okiya, Yumi. At six year old, the little girl showed a potential that didn't go unnoticed. She already had the favours of many people in the house. Some said that Tokio wouldn't have the atatori title for long. _That_ was preoccupying. Not the black ships of Commodore Perry.

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To be continued...

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IMORTANT NOTE_

Tokio's family name is in fact Takagi and in RK, Yumi is an Orian. I deliberately chose to twist the reality. You'll understand why later. But trust me, I have good reasons.

_GLOSSARY_

These are the very few words/concepts you should know if you want to fully understand my story. There will be no more words added after this, so don't fear.

An **okiya** is a house, ruled by generally one older geisha (two in this case) where a few geishas and aspiring geishas live together.

An **atatori** is the geisha who will inherit the okiya once the current owner dies. The atatori is either the owner's natural daughter, or her adoptive daugther...

A **zashiki** is a reception where geishas work during the evening. A geisha can assist to more than one zashiki in an evening.

_ABOUT THIS STORY_

First things first. I'm not writing an essay on geishas here. I'm mostly trying to write a story about Tokio and Yumi having geishas' backgrounds. That's why you won't see me give too many details about geishas: I'll only use the details that will have a purpose in my story.

However, I did extensive research on geishas, reading many books in the process, because I want to stay as historically correct as I can in the few things I will say. While reading these books, I discovered that a story about geishas is never easy to write, as very few things are known about them. Also, it is easy to fall in the classic geisha story pattern "she was so lovely and so talented: she was the best geisha of her generation." That's definitely not what I attempt here. Tokio and Yumi won't be lovely.

You might wonder why the world of geishas is so mysterious. In fact there is a good reason for that: geishas were not supposed to talk of what happened behind the scene. So for years, very few things reached the ears of people living outside of the okiyas.

However, the situation did change lately. As there are practically no more geishas left in Japan, some retired geishas thought that there was no more purpose at keeping everything secret, so they started speaking about their world. Most of the information I have come from geishas' biographies.

I would particularly recommend the excellent _Geisha, a Life _which is Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography. You will find many details about life in Gion in that book. Also, for those who want to see a very different aspect of geishas' life, there is Inoue Yuki's book, taking place in Kanazawa. Not every geisha had the luck to live in Gion...

Some might ask me if I read Arthur Golden's fiction _Memoirs of a Geisha_, and I have to say that yes, it figures among the list of books I've read. But I didn't particularly enjoyed that book for there was too much Waff in it for my taste. And Golden did fall in the classic geisha story pattern "she was so lovely and so talented: "she was the best geisha of her generation."

Few! It is said! I won't talk as much after the other chapters, but I felt that I had to make things clear before the action started.

_SPECIAL THANKS_

Special thanks to Firuze Khanume for her precious comments on this chapter and to Jerjonji for her useful corrections. I am not a native English-speaker, so her help means a lot to me. Any grammatical/spelling mistakes left are entirely my fault, because I cannot help making last minute changes.

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann


	2. The passing of years

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

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****Chapter 2 – The passing of years**

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_1863, ten years later_

For a few months, Kyoto had been the set of strange events: a lot of samurais had started to invade the city and then, men wearing blue haoris had started showing up. There were very few of them in the beginning, but soon, their number increased.

The citizens didn't know what to think exactly. Samurais were not an unusual sight and they had grown used to living with them, but the bloody events of the last few years showed that something unusual was going on. Something was about to happen here, within this city's limits.

That Chosu didn't agree with the Shogun's decision concerning treaties with the outside world was one thing. That all these samurais were coming here to do their war was another thing. Yet, citizen didn't protest. They knew better than to upset samurais, but they were on their guards.

The only district that didn't pay attention to what was going on was Gion. Still living in a surreal world, these people were only happy: more samurais within the city meant more potential clients. Not a bad thing at all... Men of one side or of the other were welcomed. As long as they had money.

* * *

"Tokio isn't bringing as much income to the house as she should..."

"She is still young. Seventeen... Give her time."

"At fifteen, Yumi is already achieving better. I don't have that much time, you should know it..."

Masako looked at her lifetime business partner with a knowing look. In ten years, they hadn't changed much. At most their character traits had sharpened, along with their physical traits, but they fundamentally remained the same.

The angular Sei, more angular than ever, let out a small cough, showing signs of disease. They were both worn out and had live long enough, it was true, and they didn't had much time before them to arrange the succession.

"Just leave things the way they are. Tokio is the atatori. She is intelligent. What is the problem with that?" Sei managed to ask, between coughs.

"She is too intelligent, that's the problem. Instead of lightly chatting with men like she should, she keeps quiet, not wanting to give in what she calls brainless games. Of course, this gives her an aura of mystery. But a boring aura of mystery. "

"She has a pretty face."

"A pretty face doesn't retain men's attention long. I've invested a lot on that girl, without any results: she isn't particularly gifted for the shamisen, neither for the tsuzumi, nor for the naga-uta, nor for the shinnai and well... neither for any form of dance. I should have got rid of her long ago..."

Masako had taken on a bitter tone of voice. She had long hoped that Tokio's career would be a success, bringing a new glory to the okiya. They missed the frenzy of the old days, when there was numerous geishas around. Back then, their agendas were so full that they constantly had to refuse engagements. Things had calmed down, but the hope of seeing things picking up again was very strong and relied on Tokio's young shoulders.

Masako had presented her new protégé to the best teachers of all to be sure that she wouldn't miss this chance. But... As they had realised long ago, Tokio never proved to be the promising star that they had wished for. Instead, it would take years before she would be able to pay her debt to the okiya. She would certainly not be free before she was 25 or 30 years old. That was for sure.

For years, Masako had also been aware that Yumi had more potential. A lot more to be precise. And for years, Yumi had made her best to prove herself, to show that she would be their saviour, a thing that had amused Tokio for a very short while, but that had come to bug her very much.

"Yumi should be the atatori, she is more gifted," Masako went on as the only answer she got from Sei was coughs.

"Yes, Yumi is very gifted, but could she really wisely run an okiya? In the long run, Tokio will prove to be a better manager than Yumi. Dancing skills don't influence much how you deal with business."

Masako let out an exasperate sigh. They had gone through this many times already in the last few months. Saying almost the same words, the same sentences and the same arguments. It had almost become a daily game by now. But that didn't change the fact that they needed to find a solution soon. Maybe Tokio could prove to be a good manager, but Masako didn't want to leave her house to an unpopular girl. She didn't want to tarnish her family name.

This scene was repeated everyday, because they couldn't come to an agreement. Beside Tokio and Yumi, their only choice was a ten years old girl, a relative of Sei they had taken in out of pure charity. Aki was her name and pity was the only thing she had. That girl definitely wasn't the right candidate.

Sei smiled faintly to her, always kind in spite of their numerous arguments. They would find a solution. They still had time.

However, fate decided otherwise, as this was one of Sei last nights on earth. Soon after that, her coughing got worse, and a few weeks later, the gentle lady passed away in the silence of the night, unnoticed by her peers.

* * *

Once life slowly began to make its way back into the okiya, everyone realised that Sei had played a more important role that they had first thought in their lives. Masako now ruled the place alone and suddenly the house had lost its balance. It had lost its humanity, leaving only the cold, calculating ways of doing things. For a while, it seemed that everything would be fine anyway, but after a few weeks of this regime it was now clear that it would never be the case.

There was something rotten in that okiya, something which could have obscured even the purest heart. Everyone's mind was starting to play bad tricks. Examples of that could be found in every aspect, in every little detail of their lives. Even important decisions reflected that new reality. Tokio was the first one to go to the chopping block: seeing that the number of zashikis to which Tokio was invited was still decreasing, Yumi finally got the atatori title.

Every form of friendship that could once have existed between the two girls was now gone. Jealously filled their hearts and hatred had already started to make its way in. It was showing here and there in their behaviour. The miserable ten year old girl who shared their life at the okiya could testify of that. It was so easy to mock her. It was apparently so much fun... That was about the only thing Tokio and Yumi agreed on.

* * *

The Ishinshishi were more organised than they were before. Slowly, their rebellion was taking form. The summer of 1863, was the set of many incidents: blood was spilled almost every night. The Ishinshishi had hired a hitokiri. Although they tried to hide his identity, the fact didn't go unnoticed.

But the Ishinshishi were not the only ones getting organised. Isami Kondo had assembled his troop and was secretly plotting to get rid of the Shinsengumi's co-founder and his allies. With men like Okita, Nagaruka, Saito and Hijikata by his side, Kondo was sure to succeed in his mission. Soon, the Shinsengumi's organisation would take its final shape.

In a few weeks from now, the table would finally be set.

* * *

It was late afternoon and Gion was slowly entering its daily frenzy. Everywhere geishas were putting on their make-up, adding the last touch to their mysterious appearance. In every okiya, everything went on smoothly, the routine having been repeated many times, and they all had one goal: achieve perfection. In this competitive district where more than a hundred geishas worked, you needed not less than that to make some profits.

Okiya owners viewed their geishas as long-term investments. Formation was expensive, but it was a requirement to enter this world, but it didn't always give the anticipated results.

"You are not getting ready... Don't tell me you weren't invited to any zashiki tonight... Again...?" asked Yumi, behind Tokio's back.

Tokio turned around and looked with a bored expression at the girl standing in front of her. Some might have found Yumi's provocative beauty breath-taking, but Tokio knew that the other girl was not at all as lovely as her look hinted.

She had noted the mockery in Yumi's tone of voice and knew that her rival wanted to play. Normally she would have entered the little word fight at once, but this time, she didn't have the heart for this sort of thing. She was under the impression that something important was about to happen, and the superficiality of Yumi's words only annoyed her.

"I'd rather stay here than assist to too many zashiki, like you, and not give enough for the money you get. At least, when I'm invited somewhere, I have the decency not to leave after only ten minutes." came Tokio's reply.

"Aren't we a little jealous?"

"You are going to blow up your reputation, Yumi. And it won't take long."

"Definitely jealous. But the difference between you and me is that I'll get the okiya in a few years, while you'll end up with nothing. You won't even have paid all your debt and will have to work for me. Don't worry, I'll give you a fair percentage of your incomes. What do you think of ten percent?"

"I say go to your zashiki. Masako is still far from being dead." Said Tokio before mentally adding 'and if you blow your reputation before she is, then I'll get the house back.'

"Don't give me that wicked smile, Tokio. You know very well that you won't win over me. I've worked too hard to get where I am now." Yumi replied suavely, yet menacingly.

And it was true. At fifteen years old, Yumi was bringing more money to the okiya that anyone had ever hoped for. In two years she had made more money than Tokio had made in four years. And it wasn't even a close call.

Tokio shrugged indifferently. But as Yumi slowly went away, her heart pinched: she wasn't indifferent at all. That she became the atatori was the last wish her father had expressed. It was what he had wanted for her, for her own good. And now, unless Yumi screwed up, she would never be able to achieve that goal. She would never be what her father had wanted her to be.

"Tokio..." came a child's voice, disrupting her thoughts. "Would you help me practise?"

Tokio looked at the young ten years old. It was true that right now, she had nothing else to do, but of course she wouldn't accept. Venting her frustration on that child had become a habit.

"Aki, go play somewhere else. No one ever helped me practise, I don't see why it wouldn't be the same in your case."

Such a remark could have seemed rude and it is true that it was. But Tokio was not very aware of it. When she was younger, the older geishas had mocked her like that and Tokio was unconsciously mimicking those behaviours she once hated.

Why was that so? Why was she becoming so bitter? Probably because she had been forced to leave her family at a very young age and start working almost like a slave. Also, probably because she had been deprived of the future she had once been promised. And now, nothing lay ahead of her. She was alone and there was nothing to look forward to, there was no future. All she could see was a succession of zashikis, of lessons, of fights with Yumi and beside that, nothing else. Her life was empty: no love, no real friends, no family and no freedom of mind or speech.

But for now, even if Tokio knew these answers very well, she didn't ask herself any questions. She was doing things the only way she knew, the only way she had learned. It was the only way to survive in this strange world.

Deep inside, sometimes, a little voice tried to speak and tried to warn her before she hurt herself and hurt others in the process. There was still hope for her, her heart wasn't totally black. But she didn't listen to that voice. She saw no point in it.

For now, she was only distractedly gazing into the dark, waiting for something to happen. Yes, she was sure of it, something important was about to happen, but she wasn't sure if it would be a good or bad thing.

* * *

Tokio had completely forgot her strange intuition when, the next day, she walked to her shamisen lesson. The learning process was never over for a geisha, there was always room for improvement, even after years of practise, and in Tokio's case, there was indeed a lot of room.

Even if she wasn't very gifted, she moderately enjoyed those lessons. She liked the repetitive movements of her fingers on her instrument. They were now almost part of her. In fact, only in those moments could she really be herself and see the world with the eyes of the seven years old she once was. She was far away from the okiya's heavy atmosphere and her open war with Yumi.

She finally came to her teacher's house and entered, as habitually, left her shoes by the door, as habitually, and picked up her instrument, as habitually. But what was not habitual at all was to see a young girl inquiringly staring at her from the other side of the room.

Tokio frowned as her routine was being interrupted, a thing she didn't usually enjoyed. Yes, she did frown, but as she suddenly remembered the new student's story, her heart softened. The sight of the little girl's wide brown eyes brought her back in the past.

"You know," started Tokio "ten years ago, I was also waiting for my first lesson, and I was frightened. Seeing you, I remember that past. In fact, we are very alike: we come from the same village."

"You're not lying, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not." laughed Tokio. "Why would I?"

The child nodded accepting Tokio's answer.

"What's your name? Maybe I know your family." The child asked, eager to find a friendly face in this big city.

"I'm Tokio Tanaka. But it would surprise me very much if you knew my family: it's been ten years since I left the village, with my father."

"Tanaka... You mean that you are the old Tanaka's daughter?" eagerly asked the child, unaware of the effect such a question could have on Tokio.

"What...? Who is the old Tanaka?"

"A man from our village. It is said that his daughter is living in Kyoto, so I thought that it was you..."

"Tell me more..." The older girl urged, her heartbeat rapidly accelerating.

"If you want to..." answered the child, shrugging. "He is just an old man, who now lives in Edo. He brings us news from the big city once in a while, although it's been months since we last saw him."

Tokio blinked, unsure of what she had heard. The name, the village, the daughter living in Kyoto, the fact that she couldn't recall any other family whose name was Tanaka... Old, that was a child's perspective. Her father must be a little over forty by now. Everything fitted too well.

Dizzy, she tried to retrieve her souvenirs, but it had been a very long time ago. In fact, she couldn't remember much her father, and even less her mother. It saddened her to see that she was about to completely forget those she loved and cherished the most. How she wished that they were all still together.

She must have been lost in her thoughts for a very long time, for the young girl's voice came, very distant.

"Tokio ...? Are you alright?"

She sadly smiled and said.

"Yes, I'm alright. I never believed in ghost stories before. But maybe I'll start believing in them..."

"You mean that the old Tanaka is a ghost coming to haunt us? That could explain why mother didn't want me to go near him..."

"Maybe." She simply answered. Right now, the ghost theory really seemed to be the most plausible one.

* * *

Later that day, after everything had finally calmed down, after Yumi had left for work, Tokio was sitting in her room. She was gazing in the dark again, not really aware of her surroundings. She was in a real frenzy, nervously playing with her hands that seemed as agitated as white small butterflies. Had her mind played her bad tricks earlier on? Had she really met a young girl? Had she correctly interpreted the child's words?

Yes, things had happened exactly the way that she remembered. She wasn't crazy. But it's true that she had a hard time trying to control her feelings. At first, she had been so happy that she had had difficulties to concentrate on what was going on during her lesson. Her father was alive, and maybe she would see him again. They would be a family again and all of this would be over soon.

But when she had come back to the okiya, another reality had suddenly struck her. If her father was alive, then why had he never came to visit her? Why had he been absent of her life for a little more than ten years now? Why?

He had promised that he would come to see her at least once a month. Back then, she trusted him and she still did. Maybe her father was a poor man, but he was a samurai following a code of honour. He wouldn't have lied.

Maybe the young girl was wrong. What if, after all, there were two men named Tanaka living in that village? What if the child had invented all of this? She couldn't really trust the word of a seven year old child who believed her when she had declared that this was probably a ghost story... That wasn't completely reliable.

If the child simply had a fertile imagination, then there would be a simple explanation behind why her father hadn't come to see her. He _was_ dead. There was no old Tanaka and this was only a fairy tale. End of the story.

But... Believing that her father was still alive was so tempting. She would have a goal in life again... That's why, when she caught the sight of Masako walking in the corridor, Tokio elaborated another theory. Maybe her father hadn't come because, he had been forbidden to do so. Maybe he hadn't come because Masako had decided that it was out of the question. She had been living long enough with the old lady to know that it was the kind of things she did. Waiting after her father's visits would have emotionally troubled her? Then, say goodbye to your family...

She clinched her fists, suddenly enraged. Even if she didn't knew if that was what had really happened, she felt betrayed. Only one thing was certain, someone somewhere had certainly lied to her. Was it the young girl? Masako? Her father? Right now, she didn't know.

If Sei were still alive, she would go find her and seek for answers. But Sei was dead and there were no more friendly faces in this house. She couldn't share her distress with them. They would only laugh and mock her once more. Yumi would be too happy to see her like that. She was supposedly the more intelligent of the two, but right now, her brain totally refused to cooperate.

A few sounds coming from a remote part of the okiya disrupt Tokio's thoughts. Yumi was coming back home. How long as she been in here, in the dark? Four, five hours at least... And what had she come up with? That her father was maybe alive and that she couldn't believe that the people she trusted had so boldly lied to her. Aside of that, there was nothing else.

She thought about the case for still a few hours, trying to figure out the truth, to determine who was guilty and who was not. Many, many times she went through everything she knew, carefully pondering each fact, maybe hoping that somewhere in the process, reality would change. But reality never changes.

Finally, at the first light of dawn, she fell asleep, out of exhaustion.

* * *

At the other end of the city, a man called Akira Kyosato got killed one night. It was an incident that almost went unnoticed, as the man wasn't an important figure in the war. It was an incident that almost went unnoticed, being only the normal course of things in a war like this one. It apparently was just an incident among others.

But, to the eyes of a close observer, the murder was all but insignificant. I was one of the things that would have deep repercussions in the conflict.

Life is often like that: it's the little details that change the course of history. The Ishinshishi's hitokiri was killing less eagerly than before. A woman had entered his life. Soon, he would quit his job. But not now. Not before the first showdown.

Everyone was waiting for it.

* * *

During the next few days, Tokio tried to ignore her feelings. She tried to live her life as she had always lived it until now, but deep inside, she knew that she would have to decide one day. She would have to do something about all of this. Things had changed and she had to acknowledge it.

Finally, after a whole week of zashikis, she sat down and reflected once more on the whole situation. If she could follow her heart, she would rush back to her hometown and ask questions around to know if her father was alive or not. If he were, she would then try to find clues about where he might now live in Edo.

But that wasn't realistic. She couldn't do that. She owed money to Masako and she couldn't leave like that. Wherever she went, Masako would always find her back and then, her life would be even more miserable than what it was now... Besides, she had way too much honour to run away like a thief.

She had to stay here. She was stuck in this okiya for another ten years at least if her career didn't pick up a little bit.

But that didn't exclude the possibility of calmly searching for her father, from here. That was the best option. It was wise. It would take more time, but she hadn't seen her father in ten years, she should be able to wait a few more months. But her heart flinched once more. If he was alive, she wanted to be with him, now...

And that is how, during the next few months, she unsuccessfully tried to find her father, writing letters when no one was looking at what she was doing. She also tried to work harder as a geisha, in order to repay her debt sooner than planned. Like that, she wouldn't have to wait until her thirtieth birthday before she would be able to go live with him.

In fact, she wasn't completely unsuccessful. She did receive the confirmation that her father was alive somewhere. But where? That was the real question. He wasn't living in his house in Edo anymore and he hadn't left his new address. He had suddenly vanished one year ago.

That was disturbing, but Tokio didn't lost hope right away. She sent more letters, but with each new negative answer, she felt more and more discouraged. Her father was nowhere to be found.

The pace at which she sent letters slowly decreased. It wouldn't work. She had to go to Edo in person: So, she started working even harder, to be free faster.

And that's how, slowly, she came to despise Gion and its inhabitants. She had once moderately loved them, but now, it was different... She felt like a prisoner within this district limit. A good life might be waiting for her elsewhere, but she couldn't even freely dream about it. She was losing her time and the best years of her life here. She had already lost a great deal.

Without even realising it, she engaged herself in a battle against the district, against the okiya and against Yumi. She wanted to prove them that she wasn't as incompetent as they had thought she was. She wanted to prove them that she could pay her debt back sooner than they all thought she could. She just wanted to be free once and for all.

All in all, Tokio had become even unhappier than when she thought that her father was death. She was lost in dark thoughts, she had lost part of her sanity, she had lost contact with reality. She was only living for the hope that maybe she'd see her father again.

She was looking forward to that happy reunion, but for now, her heart was filled with hatred.

* * *

The Shinsengumi was slowly gaining a notoriety that would culminate with the Ikedaya's affair. Hajime Saito was one of the names often mentioned in discussions. People said that he was the Miburo probably having the longest fangs.

But Gion paid little attention to those tales. Geishas had other more urgent preoccupations, other things to think about. That is how, even after the Ikedaya's affair, Tokio wouldn't even be able to say whom the Shinsengumi members really were...

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

_REMINDERS_

In RK, Tokio's family name in Takagi and Yumi is an Orian. I deliberately chose to twist the reality. You'll understand why later. But trust me, I have good reasons. (-)

Review replies can be found on my website

_NOTES_

Generally, when entering her geisha's life, a young geisha will change her given name to pick up an "artist name". However there are a few cases when the young geisha will keep her given name. In this fic, I decided that Tokio and Yumi would keep their given name to avoid any confusion. There are already a lot of new names to learn.

_SPECIAL THANKS_

As always, a very special thanks to Firuze Khanume for her precious comments on this chapter and this time to Eeevee, for the corrections. What would I do without you, guys?

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann


	3. Premises of a conflict

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Premises of a conflict**

* * *

_1864, a few months later_

After the Ikedaya affair, suddenly, it seemed that the Ishinshishi had vanished from the surface of the Earth. People were breathing again and it's seemed that life had found its way back.

But wise persons said that it was only a momentarily break, not the end. It couldn't have ended so easily with one single strike. Ishinshishi would come back. In the meantime, the Shinsengumi could savour their victory, but they had to be ready for the second showdown.

* * *

When does one start seeing everything in black? At the first offence? When he starts loosing control? When he finally decides to go on the path of war? Or when he continues on the path of war, even if it hurts more day after day?

There might be no decisive breaking point and it might be a long process, slowly hardening one's heart. It is also true that changes occur slowly, whatever the reason or the outcome is. You don't directly switch from white to black. There are all sorts of grey. One thing is sure though, a succession of deceptions must have marked one's life when you almost reach the bottom.

People of Gion could see such a girl go by, in the district. She always had a frown and a decisive look on. Slowly, with each passing day, she appreciated less and less the beauty of this world. Seeing this district, going to her lessons she once loved, didn't soften her heart at all. Everything only made her think of the unfair way her life had been destroyed. She used to love seeing other geishas perform, but now she only founded it grotesque. Everything here was a lie and she wondered how long this masquerade would last.

Yes, behind their masks, behind the white make up, geishas were all hypocrites ready to stab you in the back at the first occasion. She had always suspected it and she knew it for sure now. Everywhere she went, she saw fake amiable tones, and she saw the show they all put on twenty-four hours a day. But were all rotten.

Tokio had been deeply hurt and the healing process would be long and hard. Does one ever heal from such wounds? Maybe not. Probably not, in fact. With time, you can make the better out of it, but it will always be there, as a reminder of your past.

Tokio was far from being healed, but there was still some hope for her. Sometimes, she could still hear the little voice inside her, pleading her to stop. But it was a very rare occurrence. And, absorbed in her dark thoughts, Tokio didn't listen to it.

But even through this state of mind, she had strangely kept her sanity. She knew precisely what she was doing and why. She had a goal, a purpose, and that kept her alive. But her heart was hard and cold as a rock.

Everyday, she walked in the streets, paying visits here and there, trying to be invited to zashikis. It wasn't easy at first, but slowly, with the help of one teahouse gentle owner who had took her in pity, she found some job and her evenings off were now rare.

She forced herself to laugh and chat, to please clients, but her eyes remained very distant. This added some charm to her aura of mystery. And slowly, they started asking for her presence. She was still far from being popular, and it would surprise her very much if she ever got popular, but at least she was earning some good money.

She had checked the records with a very surprised and suspicious Masako, to see where she financially was. She had discovered that, during the last year, far from decreasing, her debt had slightly increased. She had not made enough money to cover her meals and her other expenses. She would have to change that and fast if she wanted to leave the district one day.

So she paid even more visits, hoping to get more invitations, and walked back and forth many times a day in the district, her frown and determined look on. She never closely observed her surroundings and failed to notice that the streets were filled with men in light blue haoris who definitely had the control of the city for now. Something was going on, something was taking place right under her nose, but she was too blind to realise it. She was only focused on herself and on her goal.

* * *

"Still mumbling? What can possibly be on your mind...? I wonder..."

"Nothing. Just leave me alone, Yumi." Replied Tokio, gazing out and not paying too much attention to the other girl.

"Nothing, really? You spend days and days mumbling, and you constantly count your incomes, something you never did before... You really think I'll believe that you aren't planning anything? Come on, Tokio, we have known each other for nine years. Maybe you can fool that brainless Aki, but I know you better than that..."

Tokio looked at her and sighed. Yumi wouldn't leave her alone so easily. It's true that her new behaviour could seem strange. She had never worked harder before, as she had never really cared about her situation. But now, it was very different and of course, Yumi had noticed. She wasn't dumb.

"You are right, I am planning something."

"What?"

"Gaining my financial independence before you take control of this house. I won't give you the pleasure to boss me around..." mockingly answered Tokio, eluding the question.

Yumi frowned and had a faint deceived smile, but kept her composure and replied anyway.

"Say what you want, but I'll find out. Yes, one day, I will find out. You can't hide anything from me, Tokio, and you know it very well."

"Hum... Investigate if you wish. But I'll give you an advice: don't loose too much time because you better watch your back. I may as well soon bring more incomes than you are to this okiya."

"You are still far from that..."

"Maybe... But a reputation can be so easily lost."

"I have nothing to reproach myself."

"I know. Not for now. But, I'll keep an eye on you. Just in case..."

"You'll wait all your life." replied Yumi before proudly leaving.

Tokio gave a wicked smile. She might not wait all of her life. If she went on like that, Yumi wouldn't last long in the district. She had already made some enemies and her flashy behaviour granted her some hostile looks. You had to be very prudent during your career, taking care of where you exactly set your feet and to whom who were on a friendly basis. Support was important, yes, but not just anyone's support.

If Yumi messed up, maybe there was a chance getting the atatori title back, which meant more money and a future. Besides, Masako suddenly looked very old and tired: she already almost had a foot in the grave. The day of the succession might come faster than everyone had thought. Better be ready.

Yes, if she played her cards well, she would regain the favour she once had. She didn't intend to lose.

* * *

Once more, Tokio granted the passers-by with her frown and decided look. She had better things to do right now, but because of that incompetent Aki, who was hiding somewhere and couldn't be found, she had to go shopping, being the next person on the list in these cases.

Aki should normally start attending zashikis in two years, but it looked like that changing life event would probably be postponed as the girl's behaviour more matched the one of a six years old. Exactly like if she had learned nothing at all during those years at the Isobe okiya.

She passed near two Shinsengumi members, discussing, but unlike the other citizen, she paid no attention to them. She only minded her own business, eager to please Masako. Her arms were already full of purchases when she entered the third shop on her list: the last one. She took a look around, spotted what she wanted, and asked for the merchant's help. Finally, she declared.

"Just put all of this on the Isobe okiya's bill, please."

The merchant suspiciously observed her before declaring.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I'm afraid I don't know you. Aki usually comes on the Isobe okiya's behalf. You'll have to pay now."

"Aki couldn't come today, that's why I'm here. You can trust me."

"I don't really want to take any risk. The Isobe okiya is one of my best clients. I'm not sure I want to take the chance."

Tokio closed her eyes, trying to control her growing anger. She knew that people were watching them and she also knew that having a scene in public was not the best way to keep her reputation, or to get more invitations. After all, gossiping was one of Gion inhabitants' favourite activities.

If only Aki wasn't so childish, it wouldn't have come to this. The little girl had better stay hidden somewhere, if she didn't want to be scowled.

"I'm not lying. You won't have any trouble, I give you my word of honour." said Tokio, in a more pressuring, but still gentle, tone.

She sensed that the people in her back were slowly passing their way, as there was not much to see. She was very relieved about that and now, if the merchant could just act sensibly, all would end well. By chance, she had controlled her temper.

"Well... I'm still not sure... It's true that I could track you down, but... You know."

Tokio closed her eyes once more. She was trying to search for the best way to solve this case when she suddenly felt a presence by her side. She opened her eyes and looked up. She immediately understood why the crowd had left the place. She hadn't paid much attention to the war going on, but had realised that generally, when people spotted a light blue haori, they generally rapidly went away. She had been foolish to think that the crowd had left for any other reason: of course, a gossip was still a gossip.

"Is there any problem, sir?" asked the newcomer, and as his strange amber eyes flashed, Tokio knew for sure that either the merchant or her was now in trouble. Or maybe both.

"I don't think so. No everything is going fine."

He quickly grabbed the products Tokio had long requested, handed them to her. With a victorious smile, Tokio quickly left the place, the man following her, a few steps behind.

Once they were far enough, she turned around.

"Thank you for intervening in my favour."

"I don't think I intervened in anyone's favour. You were both troubling the peace and I found a good way to solve this little problem, that's all."

"Well, thank you anyway." said Tokio, bowing, before leaving.

For a few minutes, she thought about the scene, but she rapidly forgot everything as she spotted Aki playing with a few kids in a side street. She had more important things to do.

That's how, only a few hours later, she wouldn't even had thought mentioning the incident if someone had asked how her day was. But of course, no one ever asked how her day was... She really had no idea that, years later, this little encounter would serve her.

* * *

Days slowly passed and Tokio suddenly found herself very busy. She was always in a hurry, coming back to the okiya very late at night, and rushing to take her lessons during the day. And that was without taking into account the hours she spent getting ready.

She had clear financial objectives for she wanted to be financially free before her twenty-fifth birthday, which was in eight years. She had wasted a lot of time during the first five years of her life as a geisha, but now she was determined to change that. With a little bit of luck, and if things went smoothly, she would be able to do it even before her twenty-third birthday.

Other people in the okiya noticed that change of perspective and wondered, as Yumi had done, what was happening to Tokio. But they didn't asked, just happy that the girl was finally having some success and brought some money back to the house.

Things went on like that, and nothing faltered Tokio's will of seeing her father. She really trusted him and knew for certain that he wasn't the one to blame.

But life is never easy and some people always find a way to destroy your confidence and try to make you fall even deeper. For Tokio, Yumi was such a person. She had said that she would found out what was the problem with these new resolutions, and after months of sneaking and asking questions around, she had started to suspect the truth. After all, a ton of letters cannot completely go unnoticed...

Tokio was once again calculating her incomes of the week and trying to figure what those of next weeks would be, when Yumi dropped by to say a few words.

"I know why you are mumbling now... And I know why you are trying to gain more money. Believe me, I would do the same thing to any bastard who would have declared himself dead, not to pay me any visits. That is a very cheap shot. At least, he could have directly told you that he didn't want you in his life."

Tokio frowned as she lost the count of her incomes. She finally stopped mumbling and looked at Yumi.

"I don't think that my father abandoned me. He's a man of honour, someone I would trust with my life. Something else might have stopped him. Besides, he completely vanished from the surface of the Earth..."

Yumi sat besides Tokio and looked at her surprised.

"You are a very naive girl. They say that you are very intelligent, but when it comes to your family, you sure can loose your grip. Give me only one reason why in more than ten years, he never came."

"I don't know. He's the only one who knows the answer. Until I see him and ask him questions, I'll keep trusting him.

"You do as you wish, but I personally wouldn't be wasting my time as you are."

"I'm not wasting my time..."

Yumi shrugged before leaving the room, shaking her head. For sure she wouldn't keep hoping like Tokio was, for she knew for sure that her parents would never wish to see her again. She couldn't be a hundred percent certain about Tokio's father, but the facts were there...

Tokio looked at her go away, as indifferently as she could. She resumed calculating her incomes, but she kept making mistakes in the process. Her relative peace of mind had been disrupted.

Yumi's words had introduced a tiny doubt in her mind. This was an avenue she had never wished to explore before. All along the way, she had known that it was a possibility, but she had refused to believe that the truth was as cruel and as simple as that. She still trusted her father with, and as long as she wouldn't hear the bitter words coming from his mouth, she wouldn't believe that he was guilty of anything.

She would keep counting her incomes and looking forward to the day when she would finally be able to leave the district and actively search for him. But, that tiny doubt was slowly making its way through her mind...

* * *

After that day, Tokio's behaviour didn't change much. She had about the same goal: go back to her village and find her father. But when she would find him what would happen? Of that, she wasn't sure anymore, but maybe it wouldn't be the happy reunion she had once wished for.

She hoped that Yumi was wrong. She hoped that the little voice inside her was wrong. She wished so hard to have a family again. She wished to have friends, people to speak with. She wished... she wished that none of this had ever happened. She wished that her mother was still alive and that they were all living in the little village near Edo. Maybe she would still suffer from extreme poverty, but like that, she wouldn't have to question the sincerity of her father's words and feelings.

But she couldn't go back in the past. She couldn't change the course of events.

She still trusted him, but... If Yumi had been right... If the little voice inside her had been right, then she wasn't sure she would be able to forgive the lies. She could still remember that rainy day when he had clearly promised, looking at her directly in the eyes, to come and see her everyday. Yes, she remembered.

So just in case, just in case Yumi and the little voice were right, she started opening her mind a little more. She didn't only focus on seeing her father again anymore. Only partially.

She tried to appreciate the things surrounding her, fearing that her future wouldn't be any better than what she had now. She didn't see the entire world in black anymore. She had reached the stage where she could see the world as it really was: shades of grey, for nothing was totally good or bad. She knew for sure that the world of geisha was partially fake, but it was also true that some dance figures were very lovely. And that there was nothing like a shamisen lesson.

Deep inside, Tokio wasn't the same anymore. During the past year, she had grown and she wasn't seeing things with the eyes of a child anymore. Neither with the eyes of the teenage girl she was. This story had helped her mature faster than other people normally do. She was partially grateful for that. But a part of her eyes were now definitely cold and calculating, exactly like Masako eyes were. Probably no one can escape the lessons of the world in which they live in.

* * *

The Ishinshishi were gaining power again. They had waited for a while in the dark, but they would resurface soon enough. They had decided that a change of hitokiri was more than welcomed. Shishio Makoto would enter the scene.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

_REMINDERS_

In RK, Tokio's family name in Takagi and Yumi is an Orian. I deliberately chose to twist the reality. You'll understand why later. But trust me, I have good reasons. (-)

Review replies can be found on my website

_NOTES _

Nothing much said in here about the Shinsengumi or the Bakumatsu in this chapter. Soon, Saito and the others will have a more important role. The story's background is completely set, it's time for action...

_SPECIAL THANKS_

Due credit goes to Firuze Khanume and EEevee, who kindly took the time to pre-read this chapter.

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann


	4. When the past comes back to haunt you

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

**

* * *

****Chapter 4 – When the past comes back to haunt you**

* * *

_1867, three years later_

In 1867, the Ishinshishi were once again ready for a showdown. One that they hope would be THE final showdown. They wouldn't get humiliated like last time, at Ikedaya. There were skilled fighters among them. They had gain support within the country and outside the country. To sum up, they were more organised and more ready to fight than they had been three years ago.

Maybe their shadow assassin, Makoto Shishio, was not as disciplined as his predecessor was, but that was only a detail... They were ready. They would win this war, no matter what.

Not only Ishinshishi, but fate also, had already decided that the Shinsengumi would soon be defeated.

* * *

Tokio came back very late that night. As always, she was overly tired due to working too much. She was walking in the dark okiya, making her way toward her room, when she stumbled on a step which had been there for years and years, but which she had momentarily forgot. At the last moment, her right hand grabbed a doorframe and she could have prevented the fall, but her left hand missed it by an inch and she pierced through the fragile rice paper. Shit! Her evening incomes would all be spent in repairs...

She slowly retrieved her hand from the wall, hoping that by doing so she wouldn't aggravate the case. But she shook her head at her foolish thinking. A ruined wall was a ruined wall, no matter the size of the hole...

She retrieved the rest of her hand faster, not caring about the inevitable damages.

"What was that?" a feminine voice whispered.

"Nothing important. Just a little cat," came a soft moan. A man's voice trying to soothe her.

Tokio smiled lightly at the thought of the scene going on, on the other side of the wall... She briefly bent down to glance through the hole she had created, to see if she was right about this, and yes, Yumi was effectively having her little fun with Mr. Wrong. Amusing and very instructive.

She quickly got back on her feet, smiling evilly, her mind working at full speed. This was something that wasn't supposed to be. She could be nice and simply pretend as if she hadn't witness anything forbidden. However, she wasn't nice. It just wasn't part of her nature.

Hum, Yumi and Mr. Wrong... Shishio Makoto, a man most people generally flee from. Tokio had heard the rumours stating that Shishio might be working for the Ishinshishi as a hitokiri. These were only rumours, but still... Hum, Yumi and Mr. Wrong.

Yes, very interesting. She had waited for years in the shadows, hoping that Yumi would finally definitely damage her reputation. Now, a precious opportunity had just been offered to her. She also had proof, just a few feet away. For once, she wasn't in a bad position.

Tokio took a few steps backward, to contemplate the gift offered to her on a silver platter, and smiled wickedly before yelling that there was a thief in the house...

* * *

Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two... Plus five... Twenty-seven.

Tokio briefly stopped calculating her incomes and raised her head to look at her surroundings. It was not a bad sight: Masako, angrily staring at Yumi, who visibly wished to be somewhere else and the young Aki raising an eyebrow, wondering how this would end. The three women didn't even acknowledge her presence, used to see her count her incomes and having more important things in mind. But it was certainly about to change.

Twenty-seven plus ten... Thirty-seven.

"Aki... would you take the girls out for some minutes? I have things to discuss with those two." Masako finally said.

Not able to hide her deception, Aki regretfully took the seven and six years old okiya's new inhabitants away while Tokio discretely smiled and Yumi suddenly seemed even less at ease than before. Surprisingly enough, Masako had not reacted much until now. When Tokio had yelled, she had only calmly observed what there was to observe. Her expression had turned undecipherable and she had gone back to her room without a word. They had been waiting for the storm for a few hours now and finally, the storm was coming.

"Yumi... There are rules to follow. You know that."

"Yes..."

"There is no future for you with that man. He has no money, nothing. Don't waste your time with him."

"But..."

"But you love him? Love is a very foolish and selfish feeling. I understand that at nineteen years old you want to experience it, but on the long term, love certainly won't make you happy. Take the words of someone who has once been that way..."

"Right now, I'm happy."

"Short-term thinking is not wise thinking. Maybe Shishio Makoto fancies you now, but will it be the case in ten years? Your beauty will have faltered and he will eventually leave you. And then what? You'll have no money, you will be alone and your heart will be broken. That's not a life. Think of all you have now. Think of all you'll lose if you chose to go on behaving like this."

"I don't know..."

"Sure you don't. But think about it. There is still time to mend things back in place. Word of your escapade have not gone out of these walls. Of course, there are rumours about you, but rumours come and go... If you behave properly, people will forget and your career will be back on track. Your best years are still ahead of you. Don't waste them..."

"I'll think about it."

"That's better. That's the kind of attitude I want to see. You've lost your grip lately, and it shows in the amount of money you bring back to the okiya. Lately, Tokio has managed much better than you. I'm sure you don't want that situation to be a permanent one... It's not the kind of situation the atatori can tolerate..."

"No... It isn't." Yumi lowered her head submissively.

"Good... But if this situation was to prevail, and if rumours don't stop, I'll have no other choice than to give the title back to Tokio. I don't want my name to be tarnish. The Isobe okiya has always been a respected place, and things are not about to change. Is that clear?"

Yumi nodded, while Tokio smiled wickedly once more from her corner of the room. Things had never been clearer before. Yumi better behave...

* * *

It's with a contented smile that Tokio left the room, Yumi right on her heels. The younger grabbed her elder's kimono sleeve, tearing the fragile fabric, forcing the older girl to turn around.

"Happy with yourself?" Yumi abruptly asked while Tokio was apparently only focusing on rearranging her kimono.

"Yes, quite happy. I haven't felt better in years," she replied, not bothering looking up.

"You are going to pay for that, Tokio."

"Really...? Oh, you are scaring me!" mocked Tokio, finally paying attention, before laughing.

From the hall, seeing the scene, the thirteen years old Aki gulped. If Yumi was _that_ mad, then she would certainly going to vent her frustration on her. It had been like that for years. Every time there was something wrong in Yumi's or Tokio's life, she had to pay.

"You're such a heartless bitch, Tokio. You could send your best friend to the grave without blinking if it fitted your interest. Why, seeing that I had finally found a tiny parcel of happiness in this world, didn't you just shut your big filthy mouth for once?"

Tokio leaned forward and looked directly in her rival's eyes.

"Tell me Yumi... Except of having stolen _my_ future, what have you done for me over the past thirteen years? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You say that I'm a heartless bitch, and you say that I have a big filthy mouth, but you aren't any better. You're worse because you have no moral and no values. I have no respect for people like you. It makes me sick. So don't expect me to take your defence. Don't expect me to believe that because you found _love _you'll change. Sorry, I don't believe in redemption."

Yumi took a step back under the shock.

* * *

Tokio was partially wrong. If she had done like Yumi had suggested and if she had just shut up, a certain form of respect and complicity would have probably emerged between the two girls. She would have noticed that there were some good sides in Yumi and that she had wrongly judged her. But instead, Tokio's behaviour only made things worse. Both girls now definitely were on the path of a bloody war. There was no turning back.

Fate had decided that not only the Shinsengumi would fall. Two young geishas would also see the end of the world as they knew it very soon. Another couple of weeks and it would be over for them. Fate doesn't appreciate excessiveness.

Yumi loved Shishio Makoto. She liked being with him, she liked his personality, his body, everything. He made her feel like a real woman, not like a mere object. He treated her like if she was a precious jewel. No one had ever done that before. She couldn't let him go.

Outside the okiya's walls, the rumours became more and more persistent. Yumi was having an affair with a strange, frightening man. Yumi was about to run away from Gion. Yumi's behaviour would tarnish the reputation of all of the establishments she was acquainted with. Well-behaved geishas didn't do such things.

As she had announced, seeing this, Masako gave the atatori title back to Tokio. She was old, and she had no time to play games like that. She just wanted to be sure that when she would die, the okiya would be in good hands. Suddenly, the rest didn't matter much to her. She was tired of this.

* * *

Everyone, during the next few days, saw Tokio's contented smile, but only the Okiya's walls witnessed Yumi's distress.

"Where are you going tonight?" asked Aki from the corridor, seeing that Tokio's look was more elaborated than usually.

Tokio didn't answer: she was busy trying to re-arrange a hairpin that had unfortunately fallen down. She was looking at her reflection in the mirror, and at the said hairpin, wondering how she would be able to put it back in place alone. It was important that she looked at her best tonight. She had no time to answer Aki's questions.

Ignoring Tokio's behaviour, Aki walked toward her, pick up the hairpin in Tokio's hand and started helping her. Unperturbed, the young girl repeated.

"Where are you going tonight, Tokio?"

"None of your business, Aki. And besides, it's not like if I would bring you with me."

"Why not?"

"Do you really need to be reminded...?" asked Tokio, a mean light appearing in her eyes. It didn't go unnoticed as Aki chose that exact moment to look up from her job and send a glance in the mirror.

"Ouch! You're hurting me." complained Tokio as the tip of the hairpin suddenly scratched her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ clumsy. At least, like that, the hairpin will stay in place."

"I guess so..." answered Tokio, refraining herself from massaging her now burning skin, for the sake of her elaborate bun. She noticed Aki's smile, in the mirror reflection, and briefly wondered if the girl had done it on purpose, before chasing the thought away. Nah... Aki had never protested before when verbally attacked. It certainly wouldn't start today...

The young geisha simply dismissed Aki with an annoyed hand gesture. All of this because of a stupid question... Where she was going? Well, in fact, the answer held absolutely no interest. It's not like if this evening would change her life. She stopped her line of thoughts and gazed in the distance, remembering what had happened this afternoon.

"Tokio! Tokio!" 

_She turned around, surprised to see the teahouse owner who had helped her over the past few years. Of all people, she was the last one she had wished to see today. She had an evening off, her first in a few weeks, and she wanted to have some time for herself to savour her still fresh victory over Yumi. The last thing she needed right now was being invited to another zashiki._

_"Yes?" she said, a fake smile gracing her lips, as ever._

_"I need you tonight. I know it's your evening off, but you would save my life if you accepted to assist to a zashiki and to a few other receptions that will follow..."_

_"I don't know..."_

_"No other geisha wants to do it. One of my friends,_ _an official, has some business to discuss with the Shinsengumi and he wants to organise small quiet reunions. You won't have much to do."_

_"The Shinsengumi? No wonder everyone else declined... What if I end up being sliced in two?"_

_"No you won't. They behave quite sensibly since Serizawa's dead. He and his allies were the real troublemakers. Just accept and I'll be forever grateful."_

_"Okay." Tokio replied, the truth being that she had become so greedy that she was ready to sacrifice anything to gain more money._

* * *

With her usual gracious style, Tokio attended the guests, refilling cups of tea or sake when need arose. On one side of the room, the official and three of his men had taken their place. One the other side of the room, Isami Kondo and three of his men had also taken their place.

Now being more aware of the political situation than she had been years before, Tokio could identify all the members of the second group. She had learned that you could miss opportunities if you didn't know exactly who your clients were and who they were hanging with. That is how she had slowly informed herself about everything that was going on in this town. She didn't give a damn about the war, but if knowing those facts could help her career, then she would try to collect them.

The man sitting beside Kondo was Toshizo Hijikata. She had heard a great deal about him. Standing right behind him, on the right side of the door, was Sanosuke Harada, who regularly patrolled in Gion. Some said that it was not really for the job, but more for the sightseeing.

On the other side of the door stood Hajime Saito, the man who had rescued her from the stubborn merchant that day, years ago. Well, if you could call that rescuing. She had never seen him since, only hearing tales here and there, but she had recognised his eyes right away. Obviously he didn't enjoy sightseeing as much as Harada and only came in Gion when necessity arose. Besides, he seemed very out of place right there in this delicate tea-room. He was probably more used to fighting.

While deep inside, Tokio felt that she was going to die from boredom, the discussion was going on. She was politely keeping her eyes on the ground, but slowly, she forgot about the correct behaviour and started staring at the men more openly.

The official's side held almost no interest, so she wasted no time on them. She observed Hijikata, before her eyes went up to Harada who grinned back at her. She paused longer on Saito.

He hadn't changed much since last time. He looked slightly manlier and less boyish. After all, he must have been no more than twenty the last time she had saw him. Twenty-one at most. But the eyes remained the same. They held the same strange determination.

She rapidly bent her head down again, realising that those amber eyes were staring back at her. She had been impolite. She only focused on Hijikata's, Kondo's and the official's cups, not looking up again until a knock was heard at the door.

A man came in, preceded by the strong distinctive smell of alcohol. His face was worn out; his eyes had lost their focus in obvious years of heavy drinking, judging for his looks and the strong smell surrounding him. He wore the Shinsengumi uniform, but he held no stature. He was probably a little over forty, but it seemed more like sixty.

He said a few words to Harada. He was a pawn, a courier coming to give the last news. Saito's hand was now resting on his sword hilt, as if getting rid of the man would give him some pleasure.

Tokio looked at the scene while, by her side, the discussion was still going on, unperturbed. She saw Harada nod, indicating that he understood the situation. She saw the newcomer turn around to leave. Tokio noticed the dirty stare he sent her before doing so, as if he had not seen a woman in years. This displeased her very much: she was no prostitute.

The young geisha lowered her head down once more, trying to focus on her simple job, but she had lost it. Something was troubling her. She had seen this man before, but she was trying to remember where.

She shrugged, thinking that she had probably seen him once at a zashiki, but remembering the man's behaviour, she thought otherwise. He was probably more used to brothels than to Gion.

She suddenly remembered the stare he had sent her before going out and understood that it had something to do with the eyes. She knew those eyes for sure. But why? Suddenly she froze, as reality struck her.

Those eyes, she saw them everyday in the mirror. Those were her eyes. They were slightly different, lost in alcohol, but still, there was no mistake. It was her eyes and those of her father. That was the only thing she remembered of him now. Without that, never would she have been able to recognise him. She wondered why he had sink so low, what had happened and how such a man could be part of the Shinsengumi. She understood why the women of the village didn't want their children to speak with the _old Tanaka_.

Suddenly, Tokio realised that this scum was the father she had wish to find back for years and years. _That_ had been what had kept her alive. She had lost her time, Yumi had been right. And she hated being proven wrong.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

_SPECIAL THANKS_

Once again, due credit goes to Firuze Khanume and EEevee, who both kindly took the time to pre-read this chapter.

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann


	5. Dizziness

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

**

* * *

****Chapter 5 – Dizziness**

* * *

Tokio kept her eyes fixed on the ground during the rest of the reunion. She didn't pay attention to what was going on. First, only boring things were being discussed. Second, she definitely had other things to occupy her mind with. The truth was that she was feeling a little bit dizzy right now, still under the shock of her discovery, and only the simple act of filling cups of sake was demanding all of her strength.

Her father: a low life, a scum, a worm... Her father: a heavy drinker going from brothel to brothel every night.... Her father: tarnishing her family name day after day... Of course, she didn't know this for sure, but she could guess easily, by the look in his eyes and by the position of Saito's hand on the hilt of his sword earlier.

She knew what she had seen, she could guess the rest, but she couldn't really believe it. Her father, her own blood! Her father, the loving figure she had been longing for. Her father: the man in whom she had put all her hopes, all her dreams, and all her trust.

It couldn't be. Why?

Of course, there had been what Yumi had said all these years ago and what she had secretly feared, but between doubts and facts, there was a step she had not been ready to take. What had exactly happened to him during the years they had spent away from each other? Why had he lied to her on that rainy day? Why? She couldn't understand, and she didn't want to understand.

The reunion had apparently come to an end. People were leaving the room when she noticed it. She spent a few more minutes inside the somewhat reassuring walls before also going out. The men were still talking, standing in the corridor. She was going to simply bow and pass her way when she noticed that Hajime Saito was standing alone at the other end of the corridor. Impulsively, she decided to go that way instead.

Among them all, he was the man she trusted the most. Not because of his friendly look, that was for sure, but because he had rescued her from the grips of that stubborn merchant years ago. Well, if you could call that rescuing. She was under the impression that she could trust his words.

She walked to him and stopped at a reasonable distance to discretely ask:

"That man who interrupted the reunion... who was he?"

A pair of bored, golden globes silently turned her way. She repeated the question insistently, but the only reaction she got was:

"Why would I bother answering you?"

"It's only normal to do so when kindly being asked. Besides, it will take less time than denying me the right to know." She replied, her eyes hardening, becoming more impatient with every passing second.

He looked away for a while, before saying.

"What I don't quite get is why a girl like you asks... What would you do with such knowledge?"

Tokio's eyes widened angrily. It was a very simple question, and anyone, but him, would have given her the answer right away. She ignored the remark.

"Forget it. I have other ways of finding what I want to know." She proudly declared before leaving. She had only taken a few steps when she heard him say low, but distinctive.

"Tanaka."

She turned around raising an eyebrow.

"I personally don't care about what happens to the man." He shrugged, his hand resting once more on the hilt of his sword.

She simply nodded. The reason why he had finally chosen to answer didn't really matter to her. She had the information she wanted. The man's name was Tanaka. Exactly like she thought. It really was her father. It had not been just a strange and furtive impression that wouldn't last long. There was no hiding from the truth now... Shit!

As she left, far from softening, her heart hardened. She felt no sympathy for the man she had been longing for, only profound disgust. Her eyes were cold and calculating.

* * *

In her room that night, Tokio was staring at the ceiling, unable to find sleep, unable to find peace of mind. Something was disrupting her and she knew exactly what it was: the man she used to fervently love.

She didn't know much about his life during the past fourteen years. With the little information she had, she was unable to understand. She couldn't see why a man would sell his daughter to embrace this low-life.

Anyhow, Tokio was tired of judging, of trying to find explanations in the dark. She thought that she deserved knowledge because, after all, it was what had sealed her own fate. That's why, over the next few days, she asked questions around, first to her colleagues in Gion, who had never heard of her father before. Then to the kind teahouse owner who was taking good care of her career. On her behalf, a few words were sent to people living in other districts. The answers she received displeased her, but didn't surprise her at all.

The _old Tanaka _– she enjoyed keeping the little girl's appellation now – really was a scum. Prostitute fled away as soon as he showed up in a brothel, hoping that they wouldn't have to spend some time in his company. Innkeepers generally shook their heads, hoping that the man would leave without a fight. Everywhere he went, he was despised. Tales said that his presence was barely tolerated in the Shinsengumi. If it weren't for his past services, he would already have lost some more than vital parts of his anatomy.

Tokio shook her heard more than once seeing these replies. The missives she got all met the same fate: rapidly and violently being torn apart, before being thrown into a dark corner of her room. Each time her heart hardened a little bit more at the thought that she had cherished memories of this man. The more she heard, the more she felt the need to throw up.

She couldn't forgive the humiliation her father was inflicting to her family's name. That was something her strict education couldn't allow.

If she had a sword by her side, she would also put her hand on its hilt, waiting for the perfect occasion. She didn't really wanted revenge. No, but as the true daughter of a samurai family, she couldn't allow such a dishonour. Right now, she could have as well been the author of the five rules of the Shinsengumi.

* * *

"Tokio..."

"I don't have time for this, Aki," abruptly answered Tokio.

"I just want to..."

"No. I'm going to be late." Said Tokio before leaving Aki alone on the front porch.

If she had observed more closely, instead of being focused on her father, Tokio would have notice that Aki was frowning with a growing displeasure. But Tokio didn't have the time to care about what seemed insignificant details.

She was only looking forward to her second evening in company of the officials and the Shinsengumi members. It was only a few minutes away. She would try to learn a few more things more about her father. While his shameful current behaviour was clear, the reasons why he had fallen so deep weren't.

That evening, exactly the same men were in the room, occupying the same spots on the floor. Once again, Tokio thought that she would die from boredom, but the idea of being able to exchange a few words with one of the Miburo at the end of the discussion kept her awake and lucid. Tonight, she certainly wouldn't talk to Saito. She would try Harada instead. She hoped she would be more successful that way. In fact, from the happy grin he sent in her directions from time to time, she knew for sure that she would be more successful.

And at the end of the reunion, using all of her fake charm, she trapped Harada in a corner of the room and asked him apparently innocent questions about his life in the Shisengumi before furtively leading him on the subject of _the_ _old Tanaka. _Harada did talk. Tanaka was a member of his unit. They had known him in Edo and had been surprised to see him arrive, a few years later, in Kyoto. They had taken him in, but he was more a party man and didn't take any of this very seriously. Hence, he was a mere courier...

From his corner of the room, Saito was observing the whole scene. He noticed Tokio's growing displeasure as Harada ventured in some tales about Tanaka's drinking habits. He was very aware that something important was going on. He knew, from Tokio's eyes, that she wasn't a stupid girl and that she was strong minded. He knew that you better not stand in her way once she had decided something. Those weren't gentle eyes.

He knew that she was probably planning something. Normally, the Shinsengumi captain in him would have decided to investigate more and to stop her before she did anything stupid. But this time, he just felt like watching. As he had said, he didn't give a damn about what could possibly happen to Tanaka. The mere possibility that something could in fact happen to him was entertaining. For two years, that had been one of his dreams.

Tokio looked at him and realised that she was being watched and judged by a stronger opponent. Yet, she sustained his stare. She had every right to ask and she had every right to be livid right now.

* * *

That night, while walking back home, Tokio was mentally exhausted, but happy to be engulfed by the fresh air. The sky was clear, the moon was high and tomorrow birds would sing. It would be another day. A day she wished would be better than this one. But she had her doubts.

She crossed the path of a drunken man stumbling on his feet. He had a hard time walking straight, zigzagging instead. She was twenty feet away from him, when he fell violently forward into the muddy street.

As the man vomited in public, Tokio stopped short, disgusted by the ungraceful sight. There were things you did in the street and there were things you did in private. Not in front of a lady.

She was still immobile when Kondo's group, who had left the teahouse after her, joined her. The men followed the line of her gaze and spotted the source of her horrified look, who was now lying almost dead in the dark street.

While Kondo, Saito and Hijikata shared a few words, Harada ran to the man, who had a hard time only keeling. He raised his head, conscious of being surrounded by peers he did not necessarily wished to see right now. And that is when Tokio realised. _That_ was her father...

The old Tanaka registered the sight of a geisha looking down at him and grumbled something that probably wasn't proper, before falling back on the ground.

"I apologise on his behalf Tokio-san," yelled Harada, who was the only one who had heard the whole thing.

Tokio still hadn't move, but her mind was working at full speed. She wasn't blind; she could see the man struggling to get back on his feet, visibly angered with something. She could see the decadence. She could also hear glimpse of Kondo's conversation with the others. Saito would still have to content himself with simply putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Even if the man was currently visibly transgressing the first law of the Shisengumi code, Kondo still wanted to give him a chance. It was the first time that the man went that far. He always drank a lot, caused a few problems here and there, but could stop before completely losing control. He had been a friend back in Edo, at the time of the dojo, helping them starting in life. He was still sober then and had helped them enormously. They could close their eyes for once.

Saito snorted and Hijikata visibly thought that the rules were there for everyone and that, whatever Kondo thought, it wasn't the first time Tanaka was getting himself in trouble. He had always been protected, due to the past friendship, but... If you want to be serious about something, the same rules should apply to everyone.

"Don't say that name!" yelled Tokio's father who had finally got back to his feet and. "I don't like the sound of it."

"Tokio-san?" asked Harada, puzzled.

"Yeah," replied the other man, lower. "Bad memories. Very bad memories."

"Then I won't say it again," philosophically answered Harada, before winking in Tokio's direction and dragging the man away.

Kondo also start walking and Hijikata followed, shaking his head. But Tokio still hadn't moved.

"A relative...?" Saito asked to her hear, startling her.

"None of your fucking business," was the harsh reply. Tokio had no time for any sort of game right now. She was busy observing the silhouettes of the group of men, thinking.

Saito smirked and they exchanged a short meaningful glance before parting.

* * *

Tokio was thinking about the shame her father brought to everyone. She recalled the probably dirty words he had told her and her blood boiled in her veins. She recalled how he had referred to her name. She recalled Hijikata's and Saito's expressions: it definitely wasn't the first offence. She knew that such a man needed to be punished. And she knew that, in the world they lived in, the more common option was death.

She suddenly wished for it, without blinking, thinking of how unfortunate was Kondo's past friendship with her father. He would have been dead long ago if not. He would have been dead and she, Tokio, would never have suffered the humiliation that was brought upon her right now. He would have been dead and the tale would have ended before it even started.

But she was grateful that these events were happening now and not a few years ago when she stilled lacked maturity and determination. She wouldn't have been able to handle the situation as coldly as she was now. She thought about all the times when, during the approximately two years they lived in the same city, they had probably missed each other only by a few seconds.

She entered the okiya. Not feeling sleepy at all, she walked around the main floor, searching for something to busy herself with. That's how she entered abruptly one of the rooms to witness, once again, Yumi having her little fun with Mr. Wrong.

"Excuse me," she mumbled distractedly, while Yumi was trying to regain some decency, fear showing in her eyes. She expected to see Tokio yell once more and knew that this time, she would be kicked out of the okiya for sure. But she was surprised to see that Tokio was simply walking away, a frown marking her delicate forehead.

"What... what is that suppose to mean?" was the question Yumi asked after a long silence.

She got no satisfying answer from Shishio, who was more interested in spending some time alone with her than analysing geishas' behaviours. The truth was that not even Tokio really knew the answer at the time she left the room. She had acknowledged their presence without really registering the situation, too lost in her thoughts to focus about the present.

Tokio's feet mechanically led her to her room and once inside, she suddenly got an idea. If she had thought about it for a few hours before acting upon it, like you normally should, maybe she would have realised that this plan could lead directly to disaster. But due to her current state of mind, Tokio didn't take the time to think. Instead, her feet mechanically led her back to the room where she had seen Yumi and Shishio and she opened the door abruptly.

"I have a deal to offer."

Shishio raised an eyebrow, the words melodious to his hear. He was visibly about to leave the room, probably at Yumi's insistence - after all it was easier to pretend that you weren't with your lover if he wasn't in the building - but stopped in his course.

"What deal?" he asked back, while Yumi silently observed the exchange.

"If the rumours are true you are a hitokiri. There is someone I want dead. I'll forget about what I just saw in this room if, within a week, the man in question leaves this world for good."

"Hmm... I see. But there is nothing for me in that deal."

As he started walking toward the door again, Tokio's mind worked at full speed.

"I do have money."

"You're starting to speak my language..."

"What money?" asked Yumi, frowning. But no one paid attention to her.

"How much do you want?" Tokio went on.

"How much do you have?"

"I'll soon inherit the whole okiya. Masako is not getting younger. Visibly, it's only a matter of weeks. At most, a few months. The kimono collection alone is worth a fortune..."

Shishio took a few moments to ponder the pros and cons, but finally decided.

"I don't trust your word. I want concrete proof of your good will."

Tokio hesitated for a long while. She was trying to search for a solution, and she could only see one. She looked at Yumi, at Shishio and at Yumi again. She then, partially regretful, declared.

"You don't trust me, but you trust Yumi?"

"Yes."

"Then, I'll ask Masako to change a few things. At her death, the house will go to Yumi. Masako won't protest, for she's too tired to protest. You'll have everything you want."

"What!" exclaimed Yumi in total disbelief and with so much strength that Tokio felt the need to explain.

"Nothing is more important than to see my family honour being restored right now. I would rather kill myself than endure this longer than necessary. I would even kill the man myself if I could handle a sword. So right now, I don't really care about the stupid house."

"It's interesting," was Shishio's reply. "If you can obtain information about the man's whereabouts and if everything is arranged with... Masako first, then you can be assured that twenty-four hours after I receive the signal, the man will be dead meat."

"It's fine with me. We have a deal."

"And who is my target, may I ask?"

"A member of the tenth division of the Shisengumi. My father..."

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

_Notes:_

Review replies can be found, as always, on my website.

Special thanks to Firuze Khanume who kindly offer me her comments, and to EEevee who did a wonderful job with the grammar check. Thanks to you both.

À la prochaine!   
Mary-Ann


	6. The hours preceding the fall

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

**

* * *

****Chapter 6 – The hours preceding the fall**

* * *

Had Tokio thought about the monstrosity of her words and actions? Not really. Due to context, due to her early education as a samurai daughter, due to many, many things, she felt that she was in her right. She had been publicly humiliated; her family name had been tarnish, so it was only normal to act.

Any other person might have thought twice before asking a hitokiri to murder his father. But Tokio wasn't any other person. Yumi had been right: if she wanted, she could have sent her best friend to the grave without even blinking.

But while Tokio thought that she was doing this only to get her family honour back, it's true that, unconsciously, she was also partially doing this because she had been hurt and wanted her revenge over the man who had destroyed her life. But she was not really aware of it. Blinded by her ideals of justice, she didn't see that her behaviour was as questionable as her father's.

And there would be the day when she would finally open her eyes and maybe regret this. Or maybe not… It always depends of the exact course of actions…

* * *

"Bitch!"

Tokio turned slowly toward Yumi and sized her from head to toe, as if she had seen the weirdest thing, before saying.

"You have a problem?"

"You know what it is."

"No, I don't. I just gave you the okiya back. You'll have money and you'll have Shishio while I'll end up with nothing… Isn't that what you wanted all along the way? There shouldn't be any problems then…"

Hearing these words, Aki stop cleaning the room and observed the scene more closely. This conversation was quite interesting…

"Bitch!" Yumi repeated calmly and defiantly. "Heartless bitch! I don't trust your word, and I don't trust the deal that we've made yesterday…"

"Well, trust it because it's true. You'll get the okiya, so be happy. That's all."

"Humph! And you think that I'll believe a girl who just sent her father to his death sentence? In your dreams!"

"Well, don't trust me then. What do you want me to say? That I just tricked you? I'll say it if it makes you happy…"

"Shsss…"

"What?"

"She's listening."

Both girls turned toward the young Aki who was still all ears… For a while, not a single sound was heard in the room. Everything was frozen in time and place until Tokio ventured.

"It's just Aki… She doesn't understand anything we say. Even if we explained with detailed schemes, she would still not get it."

"Still, I don't think we should mention any of this in front of others…"

"I tell you, she doesn't get it. See for yourself: Aki, what were we just talking about?"

"I don't know... It sounded very obscure to me." Answered the young girl, her face partially covered by her messy un-refined hair.

"You see!" victoriously exclaimed Tokio.

On that, Yumi lost her reticence and they both mockingly looked at Aki. They had no idea that behind this mass of hair, a pair of mischievous eyes was hidden.

* * *

The countryside gardens were vast, almost savage. People were walking in groups of two or three, speaking animatedly as the fresh autumn breeze was bringing them back to life after these long months, or rather years, of constant war.

Tokio was looking at all of this, standing on the porch, just happy to be away from Gion for once. She could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she had gone out of Gion since her arrival in the city. It was a rare occurrence, but she enjoyed it very much. It reminded her of her past, of the time she had been a little girl running freely in the fields, with very little worries.

She smiled sadly. She wasn't a little girl anymore. And she did have a lot of worries.

Harada was chatting with the officials' wives not too far away from where she stood. These women had been kind enough to invite them here, for the third reunion, but they were of no real interest. No, Harada was her target… She smiled enigmatically at him. Intrigued, it didn't take long before he politely took his leave and came to join her on the porch.

"A Shinsengumi captain… That must be a very demanding job…" Tokio managed to say with restrained charm.

This way of speaking, this way of acting, enigmatic and at the same time so disturbing, immediately and entirely caught Harada's attention. Tokio was playing her role; it was what had made her relative renown these past few years in Gion, and she was becoming quite good at it.

She took a step closer and looking mockingly at him. She not-so-innocently asked, "Days off must be relatively rare…"

Harada was looking at her, suddenly living in a world apart, in a world where officials, where reunions, where the Shinsengumi didn't existed. He was completely unaware of his surroundings and of who he was. He was only fixing those red and taunting lips. He had never seen something so beautiful before…

He shook his head, trying to regain some sense, as he finally noticed that the red lips were moving again.

"I'm sorry, Tokio-san. You were saying?"

His eyes didn't leave her mouth as she pronounced words that sounded like music to his ears.

"I was just enquiring what a normal day was like for you."

"Oh… Well, train my men and do some patrol tours. The rest of the time, we take some rest, to… to be in full shape for the next day."

"How do you handle all of this?"

"Well, I'm used to it by now…" Harada laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"You must be very strong!"

"Well…"

"No, don't be humble… You are one of the captains after all. I guess that no man in your unit could beat you or could handle as many things as you do."

"It's true that…"

"That courier, for example. I'm sure that he only does half of what you do in one day. And I'm generous saying half."

"Well, to tell you the truth," started Harada, his male ego enormously flattered by Tokio's words, no matter if they were accurate or not "compared to me, that man doesn't do much."

"Oh… you're exaggerating… I see it in your eyes…"

"No, no. It's really the truth. That man sleeps until noon everyday. Then, most of the time, he only watches us train. All he manages to handle is to deliver one or two messages early in the evening before spending hours in Shimabara…"

Tokio's expression changed, from charming to deadly serious. Finally she was getting what she wanted: priceless information. That had been quick and painless. Much easier than if she had tried her luck with Saito…

"I'm sorry Tokio-san, I didn't mean to mention such a district in front of you…" said Harada who had apparently misinterpreted Tokio's expression.

"No, it's alright. It's just that I'm surprised that a man can spend one or two hours in that district every night of the week, without growing tired of it…"

"He spends way more time than that in Shimabara! My unit has a day off every Tuesday, and on these occasions, he spends his entire day there! Can you believe it! From noon to midnight! Even a man like I – no, not that I'm a regular – wouldn't be able to party so often."

"That's very sad to hear, very sad… Oh, I'm sorry, I think that I just heard my name being called. If you'll excuse me…" lied Tokio, being done with Harada.

On these words, she left and as Harada watched her walk away, he slowly came to realise that the universe was wider than what he had thought and that the two women he had left behind a few minutes ago were laughing at him and his stunned expression.

His hand messily ran through his air as he boyishly and guiltily grinned. He had considered Tokio purely as a little sister to be protected until now, but a single beat of eyelash had been enough to make him change his mind. Oh, well, that Tokio was something… These were the women who made the reputation of Gion…

He decided to forget her, she was in another league, and he went back to the two other women.

* * *

Tokio had not taken more than twenty steps when, too lost in her thoughts to realise what she was doing, she almost bumped into a man. She raised her head to meet the not-so-friendly eyes of Hajime Saito.

A shiver ran down through her spine. Their closeness, which would have made Harada feel jealous if he had not already been occupied by something else, made her feel uncomfortable. She tried to take a step back, but holding her by the arm, Saito stopped her short in her attempt, bringing her even closer.

"You changed tactic?" asked Saito, referring to her earlier seductive behaviour.

Hearing his word, Tokio found her grip back and smiled mischievously. After all, she had not spent years arguing and fighting with Yumi for absolutely nothing…

"Do I perceive a touch of jealously in these words, captain? Maybe you would have preferred that I tested that tactic on you first?"

"Harada is a fool," cut Saito, leaving no room for discussion. "He is the only one who will never realise that you set him a trap, to get information."

"Is this a warning?"

"Yes." Saito replied, glaring intensely at her in a way that would have made most people run for their life.

But far from being perturbed, Tokio only went on, mockingly.

"And what are you going to do, captain? Slice a poor innocent geisha in two? It's true that it will look very courageous and noble on your resume…"

"You don't look so innocent to me. And I think that you don't understand… I don't care: geishas, women, the elderly… You don't have to be a man between twenty and forty to be rotten to the bone."

"And I look rotten to you?"

The Shinsengumi captain answered nothing to that. He was only glaring intently at her, analysing, judging, looking directly into her eyes. Yet, Tokio didn't blink. She sustained the stare and let him see all there was to be seen. She had nothing to be ashamed of, for she was in her right. She truly believed that she had taken the best decision.

Finally, he let go of her arm. The geisha's eyes were not kind, but there was something childish and gullible in them. No she wasn't rotten, not yet.

"I asked a few questions around and apparently, your family name is Tanaka… That man, he is what… your father?" Saito asked after a long silence.

"Yes."

"What do you want from him?"

"A loving daughter cannot enquire about her father?" Tokio replied mockingly, before adding more seriously "Why do you loathe him?"

Why did he loathe the man? That was something that didn't concern Tokio. But yes, he did loathe him. Tanaka was a sleaze who had a tendency to associate himself with the wrong people, but who always retreated just in time, when he felt that drinking games were not worth his life. That's how he had managed to survive so far.

Tanaka was targeted, many Shinsengumi members wanted to see him dead. And Saito was among them. Tanaka had eluded justice many times, way to many times. All that stood between him and seppuku was the loyalty of Isami Kondo.

Saito was perfectly aware of the fact that Tokio had something in mind, and to tell the truth, he was intrigued. He wanted to see what she was up to. He didn't thought that it was anything big, but still he was intrigued. Maybe that if he had known, if he had been aware of the whole story and of Shishio's implication, he would have said more than:

"I'll be watching you."

* * *

A few days later, Tokio was in her room, looking at the letter that rested on her knees with great satisfaction. It was all that had been missing, the last piece of the puzzle: the detailed account of her father's usual whereabouts on his days off. The list of establishments he visited in Shimabara and the hours at which he visited them were right there in front of her. It was complete. She had gathered all the information Shishio needed.

Her father had a day off every Tuesday. That was tomorrow, which meant that she would have to give the signal to Shishio during the next few hours. Was it… was it right? Was it what she really wanted? Had she made a mistake? Would she come to regret this?

Suddenly, as the fatidic day was approaching, she wasn't sure anymore. She had some doubts. She just didn't know and needed to be reassured.

She bent her head down, closed her eyes and at that exact moment, she saw it. She remembered it. She remembered the humiliation she had felt that night in the street. She remembered the gross scene that had taken place right under her eyes. She remembered the dirty looks her father had sent her, twice. And she remembered the fact that all those years ago, the man had lied to her, telling her that he would visit her often. She clearly remembered that the man had abandoned her before tarnishing her family's honour, the last thing that they possessed in this world.

He deserved to be punished. She didn't care about Hajime Saito's warnings. She was in her right.

She opened her eyes and saw Yumi looking at her from the corridor. Before changing her mind, she coldly declared:

"We're talking to Masako tonight."

* * *

In the fall of 1867, while everything and everyone were getting ready for the final stretch of the Bakumatsu, two young geishas were playing their fate. Two young geishas would influence slightly the course of actions.

Years later, their role would remain unknown. Only the main events would be remembered: the Ishinshishi's victory and the Shinsengumi defeat. It was sufficient. But what happens backstage is often as important as what happens under the spotlights.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

AN: Thanks to EEevee who kindly beta-read this chapter. Review replies can be found on my website.

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann


	7. Mistrust

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

Sorry for the extreme lapse. RL has kept me very busy these past months. Thank you for your patience. I now have a little more spare time. I hope it's going to stay this way, because I wish I could update more often.

Now, let's all thank EEevee who kindly took the time to beta-read this chapter.

**

* * *

****Chapter 7 – Mistrust**

* * *

"You want to talk to Masako, now?" slowly replied Yumi, stunned.

From the start, she had been extremely surprised by Tokio's proposition. A girl, who normally had judgement and good sense, could not possibly send her father to his death sentence. Okay, Tokio was not exactly the friendly type, but to go this far...? There are limits one does not normally cross. That's all.

A week had elapsed since they had last mentioned the plan, so Yumi had come to believe that Tokio had changed her mind. That's why she had sent her these little _I-knew-that-you-would-back-off_ smiles lately. Those smiles could have almost been described as victorious, if it hadn't also meant the end of Yumi's foolish dream of having the okiya back.

But now… Now, Tokio was mentioning that strange, irrational, yet so taunting possibility again. This was unexpected. But for once, unexpected things might be very, very pleasant.

"Yes, now." The older replied, decupling Yumi's excitement. Tokio handed her a piece of paper, "This is the list of my father's exact whereabouts for tomorrow. It's our chance."

Yumi picked it up and closely examined it, eyes widening as she realised that it was really true.

"Yes, I think that this should be enough. You already gave us your father's description, so locating him should be easy now."

Yumi folded the note carefully and put it in her obi. She then looked at her nemesis. What could possibly be on her rival's mind right now? Why had she come to such extremes? She didn't really understand, but after all, she didn't really care either. All that matter was that she would be the atatori again and eventually she would have money. And, most of all, she would have Makoto Shishio. Her life was back on track.

"Ready?" Yumi asked eagerly.

"Not quite." Was Tokio's quick reply.

She had stated her intention to go see Masako tonight, but there were still a few details to be taken care of beforehand. She noticed that Yumi was showing signs of impatience.

Hence, she took her time before finally declaring:

"The other day, you said that you don't trust me. The feeling happens to be mutual. You think that I'll give you the okiya without first being assured that my father will be killed as I wish?"

"And you think that we'll do all the dirty work without being assured first that you'll give us the okiya as I wish? As you pointed out, the feeling happens to be mutual…"

Both girls were facing each other and neither of them was ready to make concessions first.

"We do have a problem here…" calmly observed Tokio.

"Yes, I think we do…"

Silence filled the room as they remained pensive. If years ago, they had tried to be friends instead of constantly arguing and fighting, right now, this mistrust wouldn't exist. Maybe that if years ago, they had tried to be friends, they would both be very different people now, and this deal, this revenge in the name of so called righteousness, would never have existed. But the past can never be changed.

"I think that…" slowly started Tokio after a long while.

"Yes…?" urged Yumi.

"We could maybe announce our intention to Masako tonight, but sign the papers only once we receive the confirmation of my father's death tomorrow night or Wednesday morning… What do you think?"

"Yes… It's a possibility. But will it be all right with Masako? I mean… It will give her one or two days to change her mind. Our first intention was to startle her and sign everything before she had the time to think it through…"

"In my opinion, she's just too old to care anymore. Two days more won't make much difference. Don't worry, you'll be the atatori, I'll get what I want and in due time, Shishio will also get what he wants."

"In due time… I just hope that the old lady won't stick around for too long… Being rich and independent sounds fun…"

Tokio and Yumi exchanged a genuine smile. It had taken many years, but finally they could understand each other. It would be their first and their last friendly moment.

* * *

Aki was smiling, kneeling alone in her room, staring intently at the wall she shared in common with Tokio. About the only thing they had in common. That wall, the same wall she had came to despise over the years, was now a true blessing.

Listening to other's conversation was impolite they said. But how thrilling and how instructive it was! Besides, she wasn't purposefully listening; she had just happened to be at the right place, at the right moment. Was it her fault if, dismissing her intelligence, Tokio and Yumi never paid attention to her presence?

Everyone thought that she was just an idiot, but she was far from being dumb, and she could perfectly understand the concept of blackmail. And she knew the value of what she had just heard. She just had to think carefully, she couldn't act hastily. She couldn't lose an opportunity like this.

Yes... Maybe she would get something out of this…

* * *

Two young geishas were kneeling outside of their elder's room, visibly nervous and impatient. They didn't enjoy waiting. They had hoped to talk to Masako right away, but instead they were stuck there, in this adjacent room. For how long they didn't know, they could just hope that it wouldn't take all night.

So here was their last chance, the last opportunity they had to change their mind. It's like if fate was saying "you can still go back to your rooms without talking to Masako; it's not too late."

And of course, while they were waiting there, growing more and more anxious, they became well aware of that possibility. To say that they hadn't considered it would be a lie. It was a serious option. But they were staying there, immobile.

The truth was that none of them wanted to quit first. They were both proud. Extremely proud. So, instead of openly talking about her sudden doubts, about her possible regrets, Tokio remained silent. Instead of voicing that maybe killing a man was not worth the money, that there would be other ways of getting the okiya back, Yumi remained silent.

That's how the words "let's just forget about all of this", words that both were dying to use, remained unspoken. And so, they were waiting there, anxious, nervous, and impatient as if they were waiting for their execution. But they were still waiting.

Whether it took minutes, hours, days or even weeks before talking to Masako, they wouldn't move and they would stay right there, hiding their feelings to the other. They had a rendezvous with fate and they wouldn't miss it.

* * *

For years Makoto Shishio had been fighting against the Shinsengumi backstage. It was his role, his supposedly sole duty. And now, a young geisha was coming to him, offering him an important sum of money to do a job he was already been paid for. Quite ironic, no?

Life can be strange sometimes, you never really know what to expect. But Makoto Shishio wouldn't complain about that.

By accepting to work for Tokio, Makoto Shishio was not respecting his part of the deal with the Ishinshishi. He was supposed to stay in the shadows and wait until they called him. He wasn't supposed to take initiatives. He wasn't supposed to do things that could possibly draw attention on him. To sum up: he wasn't supposed to kill young geishas' fathers. But so what?

Most in his case would have voiced concerns about not being loyal to their employer, let alone concerns about killing, but that was a different story. However, Makoto Shishio was not concerned at all. He was tired of waiting in the shadows. No one seemed to acknowledge the importance of his work and he had enough…

Shishio Makoto was a man who knew his value: he was aware of many dark secrets and had handled so many dirty jobs that his bosses should all be on their knees praising him, recognising all he had done for the restoration. But they weren't… And he knew very well that things would not improve for him with time. There would be no place for a hitokiri like him in the new government. He would be forgotten quickly in the new era, politicians not wanting him around, not wanting this reminder of the past.

So if a young geisha were to come to him, offering him money and the chance to live the life he wanted in the new era, he would not hesitate. In fact, he didn't care much about what his employers might say if they discovered his implication. He certainly was one of the most dangerous men in town, and these days, it meant a lot. Yes, his bosses should definitively be on their knees praising him and not the other way around. Makoto Shishio was like that. He was working for himself, to pursue what seemed to be his best interest. Not his neighbours' best interest, not his bosses' best interest and not the nation's best interest. His interest before anything else.

A young geisha somewhere had understood it and had taken advantage of it. She had understood that money and power were concepts Makoto Shishio enjoyed playing with.

* * *

As Tokio entered Masako's room, Yumi on her heels, they both felt much better. They had regained their senses. In fact, Tokio was thinking of how different things were since she had first come here almost fifteen years ago. Back then, Masako had the power and she had been a terrified little girl. Now, she was coming here with a clear goal in mind, and it was one that Masako probably wouldn't oppose.

Masako had lost part of her fire, part of that characteristic spark. She didn't barked and bossed everyone around like she used to. It was like if the whole Shishio incident and the effort she had put to quiet the endless rumours had finally got her. Some said that she already had a foot in the grave. All of her being expressed her tiredness: the way she held her head, always bent as it was too heavy for her, the way her eyes saw without really seeing.

A closer observant would have said that yes indeed the old lady was not getting younger, but that she still have some energy left for a last battle. If there was need, she would fight again, to defend all that was dear to her. But not right now. Now there was no emergency. She was just very tired. It had been a very long day, it was getting late and she just wanted to rest.

That's why, after acknowledging the two girls' presence, she asked without any real interest:

"What brings you both here, _again_?"

The two girls exchanged a wicked smile, before Tokio announced.

"Just a little something which needs your approval."

"A _little_ something…?" she had the feeling that this something was anything but little.

"Yes, just a formality." added Yumi.

Before Masako could even blink, Tokio leaned forward and said, without any hesitation, "I've changed my mind. I do not want the atatori title. I've talked with Yumi and we've both agreed that Yumi was more apt for the job."

"You _talked_ together and came to an _agreement_…?" asked Masako, taken aback.

"Well maybe not at first, but in the end, we both understood each other's point of view." Said Yumi, adding a touch of realism to the fairy tale.

"Hum…" said Masako. "But I gave the tile back to Tokio; I don't want you to have it."

"Because of Makoto Shishio?" cut Tokio. "That relation won't cause any problem now."

"No, it won't. Besides, I think that I can manage a house like this one and I really want to, while Tokio just lost interest. I will serve your name better." rapidly added Yumi.

When both girls stopped talking, Masako was feeling a bit dizzy. She knew… She could feel the trap… She could sense their lies, their false pretences. They were being aggressive; they wanted something out of her. But what and why…?

She tried to figure it out, but really, it didn't make any sense. Tokio disliked Yumi very much, and she wouldn't have given her the house under any pretext. Yes, something was very wrong. There was something more, something they were hiding from her.

Normally, she would have scolded them and questioned them right on the spot. But… She just wanted to see them out of this room. It was getting late, and she was tired. She would find out in due time. She would ask a few questions, tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow, there was no hurry.

But… after all… why was it so important to know? If Tokio didn't want the title, she couldn't force her hand. It would all end up as a mess. And if Shishio Makoto was not in the picture anymore… Maybe they were right, maybe it was the best option. Yes, it was simpler this way.

"Fine." She finally conceded.

"Fine?" replied Yumi, to be sure of what she had heard.

"Yes, fine. I've already heard enough. If you both agree, I won't protest. The title goes to Yumi; we'll sign the papers right now."

"Actually," cut Tokio "it would be better if we did it tomorrow night."

"Tonight, tomorrow night…Whatever you want..."

* * *

Makoto Shishio was looking sternly at the piece of paper that had just been put into his hand. So the order had finally been issued. Tomorrow would be the day.

Makoto Shishio smiled. He enjoyed killing and he enjoyed the hunt. It was what he had been born for. He was a true hitokiri. He would never have questioned the morality of his actions like his predecessor.

However, this time, the job wouldn't be quite as thrilling as he wished. From what he had learned, the man would be an easy prey. There was no real challenge in killing a heavy drinker who, even sober, had difficulties walking straight. The man's life would be over even before he had realised that it was at stake.

Anyway, as long as he got paid…

So tomorrow night, when the man known as the old Tanaka would come out of the last establishment he habitually visited, he would meet his fate. He would meet Shishio Makoto.

* * *

Aki was smiling in the dark. Once again, she had listened through the thin walls. It was becoming a habit. A habit that was serving her right.

They had done it. They had talked with Masako. They had offered her the chance she had been waiting for all of these years. They were not even aware of the trap that was slowly closing on them. They were the dumb ones. Not her.

In a few hours, the world would know that she was no fool. The world would learn that they better not mess with her. Everyone would be aware of her supremacy. Today would be the last day Yumi and Tokio mocked her. Yes, the last one. Tomorrow, they would be on their knees, begging for forgiveness. But she would not forgive. She had enough of this.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

AN: Review replies can still be found on my website. I like hearing from you, so don't be shy!

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann


	8. Blackmail

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. I'm only borrowing his characters for a while.

Special thanks to EEevee, who kindly beta-read this chapter.

**

* * *

****Chapter 8 – Blackmail**

* * *

Tokio was staring at the ceiling, lying on her futon. It was time to get up, yet she didn't felt like it. She just kept looking and looking while crazy thoughts ran through her mind. Today. It would be over today.

It was like if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Tomorrow another life would began; a life that would certainly be better than this one. It could not possibly get worse. No, it simply couldn't.

She finally got up and walked to her mirror. She contemplated her reflection. She stared intently into her eyes, surprised to find a strange blend of happiness and sadness in them.

Doubts again. Had she really done the right thing? Yes… Well… A little voice inside her head was rhythmically whispering "murderer, murderer!". It made her feel uneasy. Suddenly she couldn't sustain her own stare. She retreated from the mirror, taking a step back.

Was it… Was it true? Was she a murderer? She took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was doing this. It was for honour, for justice. She was doing the right thing. She slowly opened her eyes, took a step forward and stubbornly stared at her reflection in the mirror until the little voice inside her head stopped.

Everything was all right. It was normal to be nervous. It was not over yet. Tomorrow, she would feel better.

However, her fragile peace of mind was disrupted by the sound of Masako yelling. She couldn't really make out the words, but she sure that it was a bad omen. Masako was angry. Something had apparently gone wrong.

* * *

To say that Tokio rushed to Masako's side would be an understatement: She almost broke her neck on her way there. She had to make sure that everything was okay. If… if Masako ever changed her mind… they were doomed. And being doomed was definitively not an option.

When she entered the room, seeing the scene, her worst fears came true. Masako was shouting at Yumi, and she didn't like the sound of it.

"Oh, there you are!" exclaimed Masako as she spotted her coming in. "And for a moment, I thought that you would stay hidden, letting your _subordinate_ handle all the dirty work…" she added, waving toward Yumi.

"I'm sorry… Could someone explain what this is all about?" asked Tokio, faking innocence. Maybe it was not too late.

"You know very well what this is about, _Tokio_."

Tokio observed Masako closely and then turned toward Yumi. Her rival, for the first time in her life, looked miserable. And then, she understood that it was definitively too late.

Somehow, Masako had learnt about their plan. And she wasn't happy about it. She was… She was different from last night. It was as if the outrage had awoken her personality. Now, she would put up a fight and she would do it with all of her heart. Tokio hadn't expected that. She had overlooked a few things in her quest for revenge, or her so called justice.

Yes, Masako knew. But maybe… Maybe they could at least minimise the damage. However, before Tokio could come up with a plan, Masako went on, accusingly:

"How could two bright girls like you thought that you would get away with this? How could you gamble on my death?"

"I…" started Tokio.

"No, listen to me!" The violence of the words stunned Tokio. "I've work all my life for this okiya. And before me, my predecessor did. And so did her predecessor. We have all worked hard to ensure that this establishment was one of the finest of Gion. With the best geishas. With the best kimono collection. And with the best reputation."

Masako paused, searching for her breath. Yes, she would put up quite a fight, but it still was a lot of emotion for an old lady like her. She felt like she didn't deserve any of this. She wasn't aware of the fact that her own attitude had in fact, a lot to do with the way the two girls view the world now.

"I admit that we had a few tough years lately. We ran from bad luck to bad luck. Business has been quiet, but we still have our reputation. And because it's still there, we will get back on our feet as soon as we have more than two qualified geishas. In fact, that reputation is the only thing we have left. We must cherish it. You think that you can come here and blow it like that?"

"We…"

"No, I said listen!" Masako exclaimed, once again. She had enough of this. "Weren't your not-so-secret love affairs enough for you? Where will you stop? Oh yes, there was foolish girls in this house before, but never have we gave shelter to murderers. This is no place for people like you."

This last accusation, those last sentences, reminded something to Tokio. Her doubts. The little accusing voice in her head. Was it true then? Was she a murderer? Would it be how people view her from now on? But she had done this for justice! For honour! It was supposed to be okay.

"By chance, some people in this house have more brains than you and warned me. If not I would have fallen right into your trap."

Other…other people? Yumi couldn't possibly have…? No, she certainly hadn't, Masako was blaming her as well. There must be a simple explanation, there must be…

That's when she spotted her in a corner of the room. Aki. She had dismissed her presence again, like she always did. Yes, she had dismissed it.

Memories came rushing through her mind. Aki lurking in the corridor. Aki assisting in some of their conversations. Aki deliberately hurting her skull with a hairpin. A mean spark briefly flashing through Aki's eyes. Aki lying with her face hidden behind a curtain of black messy hair.

She had overlooked all of these facts. Tokio's eyes widened under the shock of her discovery. Yes, she had overlooked them, and it had been a terrible mistake. She had been so stupid. She slowly closed her eyelids as if to allow the reality to sink in.

When she opened her eyes, she could see clearer. Yes, she had been wrong. Aki was not as stupid as she had thought. She hadn't really realised how important the okiya's reputation was to Masako. But the rest…? It couldn't be all wrong. No, it couldn't.

"Tokio, you are wasting my time, standing there like that, gaping." Masako said slowly. Her victorious tone indicating that it was a rather enjoyable waste of time. "In fact, you are both wasting my time. I still cannot believe I put this much energy into your education. The only reason I'll keep you around, is to allow you to finish reimbursing all of your debt. But as soon as you're done, you are out of here."

"And… and the okiya…?" mumbled Yumi.

"You really think you'll have it after all of this? In your dreams! No, I think someone else deserve a reward for her loyal services." Replied Masako, waving toward Aki. "Now, just both get out of this room; I have seen enough of you for a while."

Yumi slowly followed Tokio out of the room, head bent forward as if she carried the weight of the whole world on her young shoulders. Not looking where she was going, she almost bumped into Tokio. Her elder had halted.

Tokio turned around to face her. She seemed older, worries altering the perfection of her traits.

"There is certainly something we can do."

"No." replied Yumi, shaking her head. "You heard her as well as I did. Stop living in a world of illusions. She won't change her mind. She won't forgive us. We won't have the okiya no matter what we do. And soon, we'll be thrown out of this house. It's as simple as that. So accept it."

"Oh, look who's talking! I wonder who between us is having the hardest time accepting this new reality. You look plainly miserable!"

"Well my dream of becoming the Atatori has just been crushed, mind you!" harshly replied Yumi, raising the tone, finding her composure back under the attack. "And should I remind you whose fault this is? Yours, of course."

"Mine? No one forced you to accept the deal. And without the deal, there was not a single chance you could have taken the Atatori title back!"

"Really? I'm a much better geisha than you are and you know it! I've always been more popular and more gifted. And it's the truth."

"And who caused that ruckus with her love affairs? Not me. Who has been the constant source of gossip of the district lately? Not me. And who have been called off a few times as a result? Not me. I'm clean."

"You call this whole mess being clean? I sometimes wonder what is going on in your head. Care to explain?"

Tokio suddenly backed off. She had needed the energy the cat fight brought, and apparently so did Yumi. But Yumi had stepped too far. She didn't have to explain her reasons, and she didn't even want to explain them. It was personal. And besides, she was so confused that she wasn't even sure if she could explain. So, she simply answered, on a calmer tone.

"That concerns only me. And besides, this whole conversation is beside the point. You misunderstood me in the first place. I had meant that there must be something we can do about the deal we've made."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we've asked your boyfriend to kill someone in exchange of the okiya. But we do not have the okiya anymore."

"And, how does this concern…" slowly started Yumi, before being cut of by Tokio.

"Don't you see? We have nothing to pay him! We have a problem!"

"Oh, no. There is something _you_ don't quite understand here. 'We', as an entity, do not exist anymore. It's not 'our' problem, it is _your_ problem."

"How…?"

"_You_ are the one who proposed the deal. Not me. _You_ are the one who offered the okiya in exchange of your father's life. Not me. In fact, I didn't even take part in the discussions. _You_'ll have a debt toward us. Big debt. So before it's too late, I suppose you start searching for my boyfriend to call the whole thing off."

"Won't you help?" asked Tokio, miserably.

"No." simply answered Yumi, with a sadistic smile. She had lost the house and regretted it, but she would make sure other would lose more than she did…

* * *

Tokio could never precisely recall what happen next. It was all a big blur. Her head was spinning, her heartbeat was ecstatic. She couldn't remember how she got to her Shamimasen lesson, but she knew for sure that her sweaty fingers didn't help her play the instrument correctly. It had resulted in her teacher throwing an artistic tantrum, saying that she wouldn't go on teaching to such a poorly gifted student.

Even now, as she walked back to the okiya in the crowded Gion streets, she had great difficulties focusing. She was still under the shock. She knew she should try to do something, try to fight her way back. She had no time to lose if she wanted to stop Shishio. Her father might be killed any minute now. But her mind just refused to cooperate.

She just kept walking. Dizzy, she proceeded slowly. One step at a time, careful not to stumble on the way. Breathe in, breathe out. But it didn't help.

The buildings… It was like if they were slowly closing down on her, trapping her. She was suffocating. There were too many people around. She would end up being swept along by the crowd. They were already all looking at her, laughing under their grotesque masks of white powder rice. They knew. They all knew. If they could just stop staring, if they could just leave her alone.

She swiftly pulled both her hands to her face, hiding. Shivering. She was getting crazy. They couldn't know. No one knew. She needed to control herself. Breathe in, breathe out. It was easy, she could do it.

As she pulled her hands back, she looked around. The buildings didn't look so menacing anymore. No one was looking at her. No one, but him. She felt somewhat… reassured. He would know what to do. He was strong and resourceful. Shishio was his enemy and he loathed her father. He could help her. He…

And then he smirked at her.

Insufferable smirk. He was happy to see her crumble. He was happy to see that the proud geisha was having trouble. That apparently, her plan had gone wrong. That for once she didn't even try to get the upper hand. That instead, her eyes were begging for his help. Oh he apparently enjoyed being proven right.

That stern and severe look.

She somehow understood. She understood that he wouldn't understand. That he wouldn't help. That trying to ask for his help would be a bad idea. She understood that he wouldn't approve of her actions. Shishio might be the enemy and he might despise her father, but he would declare _her_ guilty. He wouldn't approve that she had interfere in the Shinsengumi business. It was not her place. She would end up in more trouble than she already was. He wouldn't approve. That was all there was to say.

His presence now made her feel uneasy. She resumed walking, diverting her gaze as to not meet his piercing eyes again. They were searching her soul, uncovering her darkest secrets and she didn't like it. She walked and walked, but she knew that he was still there. Following from afar. Checking. Evaluating the situation.

He was no fool. A four year old could do the math. Her distressed look certainly indicated that she had done something stupid. Something stupid meant that she had crossed a line. Crossing a line meant that she had disrupted Kyoto's fragile peace. And disrupting Kyoto's fragile peace was a punishable crime. And he happened to be a man of justice.

To sum up, the fact that he followed her only meant more trouble.

"I'll be watching you", he had said. He was watching. But what did he knew exactly?

What if he knew she had gathered her father's exact whereabouts for today? She had tried to be discrete, but people always talk. And what if he knew that Shishio was a regular at the okiya? The whole district knew, so why not him?

No, it couldn't be. He couldn't know everything. The rumour said that Yumi was seeing a questionable man, not that she was seeing the Ishinshishi's favourite hitokiri. So even if he had learnt that she had gathered her father's exact whereabouts, he didn't know what she intended to do with it. Yet.

But even then… Tonight… when he would learn of her father's death, he would know that somehow it was her doing. He would understand. Again, a four year old could do the math, so why not him?

She had not seen that coming. He knew and there would be clear evidences. This was the end of life as she knew it.

Oh yes, her father would be dead, exactly like she wished. But instead of exulting, she would be miserable. And it would be her fault. She would be forever indebted to Shishio, and it would be her fault. Soon, she would be thrown out of the okiya, and it would be her fault. And realising that her father was missing, Saito would accuse her and it would be her fault.

What was better? Being hunted down by Shishio or by the Shinsengumi? She didn't want to find out. No, she definitively didn't want to experiment it first hand. There had to be something she could still do.

Entering the okiya, she looked over her shoulder. Saito was still following her. She had to find Shishio. Fast.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

À la prochaine!  
Mary-Ann 


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